67% medicine retailers can't identify antibiotics: DGDA

Around 67 percent of medicine retailers do not have knowledge of antimicrobial drugs and they cannot identify the antibiotics, finds a study by the Directorate General of Drug Administration (DGDA).

For this reason, DGDA has instructed labeling of all antimicrobials (antibiotics, antifungals and antivirals) marked with red colour and the word "Antibiotics".

The survey was conducted among 427 medicine retailers.

Sabrina Alam, assistant director at DGDA, disclosed the information at the dissemination programme on current antimicrobial resistance and the usage pattern in Bangladesh, at a Dhaka hotel today (May 18, 2022).

In her presentation, she said that the antibiotics belonging to the watch group are the most used in Bangladesh which is alarming.

As per the AWaRe (Access, Watch and Reserve) classification, antibiotics are classified into three groups: "Access Group" used for a wide range of primary level infection, "Watch Group" used against higher resistance bacteria, and "Reserve Group" only to be used when all alternatives fail.

AWaRe classification is a method to classify all antibiotics adopted by the World Health Organization in 2019.

Speaking at the event, Major General Mohammad Yousuf, Director General of DGDA, said that they have suggested in the proposed drug act that selling antibiotics without prescription be considered a punishable act, including Tk 20,000 fine.