MANILA, Philippines - By superbugs, I don’t mean those creepy, icky, crawly insects; what I’m referring to is the disturbing warning from the Department of Health that recently hogged the headlines: Irresponsible use, prescription of antibiotics can lead to the development of antimicrobial resistance or superbug (super-resistant bacteria) mutation.
Picture this: In a worst case scenario, we will no longer be able to treat infections because of antimicrobial resistance.
“If we don’t take action now, there will be no cure for tomorrow,” goes the loud and clear message of Dr. Soe Nyunt-U, World Health Organization country director, making us shrink in fear. “This is something of great importance we have to look at and deal with because it is not easy to find new antibiotics. It takes generations.”
Not a new problem, antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is now a growing global concern because it kills; it hampers the control of infectious diseases; it increases the cost of health care; it jeopardizes health care gains to society; it threatens health security and damages economies.
AMR happens when microorganisms (bacteria, viruses, fungi, parasites) change (or mutate) so that the medication previously used to cure them is no longer effective. This results in prolonged illness and greater risk of death. Not only do the patients not get well, they also spread the infection.
“It is normal for bacteria to mutate if they are threatened to adjust to something that intends to kill them,” explains Health Secretary Enrique Ona.
Fact is, AMR has reared its hideous head in some TB, malaria, HIV cases worldwide. Studies show that some 440,000 new cases of multi-drug-resistant tuberculosis emerge annually, causing at least 150,000 deaths.
Statistics show that a high percentage of hospital-acquired infections is caused by highly resistant bacteria, such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.
A study shows that there is an increasing resistance for some of the bacterial infections we commonly encounter to the usual first-line antibiotics.
Now, what could provide a fertile ground for resistant microorganisms to surface (and then spread)? Experts point to the inappropriate and irrational use of antimicrobial medicines as the culprit.
Often referred to as the “silent epidemic,” AMR poses a threat to doctors’ efforts to cure patients. But even doctors are sometimes guilty of prescribing the wrong antimicrobial drugs. Or they prescribe substandard antibiotics. Or else, they over-prescribe or under-prescribe.
We can’t stress this enough: Improper use and non-adherence to antibiotic therapy can lead to antibiotic resistance and is associated with treatment failure and its consequences.
Why is it hard for most people who are sick to adhere to antimicrobial therapy?
Probably the No. 1 reason is economics. Most people don’t take the full dosage as prescribed by their doctors because antibiotics are usually expensive and they don’t have the money to buy the full dose. Then, too, some people discontinue treatment (or do not finish the prescribed course of treatment) when symptoms disappear (but before the pathogen disappears) or when they feel better.
And now, Pharex launches an all-out war against AMR by helping remind and educate people about the life-saving importance of adherence to antibiotic therapy.
Once more with feeling: Pharex HealthCorp., a pioneer in generic medicines, leads the fight against AMR with an aggressive advocacy campaign to strongly encourage patients to adhere to the prescribed medication to combat antimicrobial resistance. If you’ve been following Pharex, you probably already know about its Masunurin advocacy campaign.
“Non-adherence to prescribed antimicrobial medication can have fatal consequences,” asserts Dr. Amado Nazal, Pharex HealthCorp. medical director. “Since harmful bacteria remain in the body, the microbes develop resistance against any microbial medication and may cause recurrence of infection or complications in the treatment of infectious diseases in the future.”
With Pharex’s Masunurin advocacy campaign, we will never forget to adhere to antibiotic therapy or follow the doctor’s prescription. More than that, Pharex makes it really easy and convenient for us to comply with antimicrobial treatment by coming up with its ingenious Masunurin Value Pack (MVP).
Revolutionizing existing patient compliance packs out on the market today, Pharex’s first-line antibiotics (amoxicillin, cefalexin, ciprofloxacin, cloxacillin) have been repackaged in a especially-designed foil pack to make it easier and more convenient for patients to carry around and remember to take their medicines as prescribed by their doctors.
This MVP (most valuable possession) is certainly easy to slip into my giant tote bag (along with my wallet, eyeglasses, house and car keys, a small makeup kit, ballpens, dental floss, lotion, cell phones, candies, a bar of chocolate or a bag of cookies, and a bottle of mineral water), especially now that it comes in a convenient pocket-sized resealable foil pack with zip-lock.
More than the packaging, Pharex offers high-quality, effective, and affordable medicines that are 25 to 50-percent less than the regular selling price of the products. Of course, this enables patients to purchase the full dosage as prescribed. And this translates to savings on medicines as well.
Through its Masunurin advocacy campaign, Pharex, the generics pioneer, hopes to educate Filipinos on the importance of adherence to antibiotic therapy while adding not only years to our lives but also life to our years.