The drugstores will be obliged to keep the prescriptions for antibiotics given by family doctors for 30 days. Also, the druggists will indicate the commercial name of the issued antibiotics on the opposite side of the prescription. This way the Pharmaceutical Inspectorate will be able to determine if the druggists inform patients about the commercial names available for the prescribed drugs and their prices, IPN reports.

In a press release, the Ministry of Health says when the Pharmaceutical Inspectorate monitors the antibiotic issuing process, the druggists will no longer sell the most expensive antibiotics as until now and will be unable to sell these preparations in the absence of prescriptions.

According to the World Health Organization, antibiotics represent 10% of the drugs used by patients in Moldova. The rate of administering these preparations increased from 21.3 daily doses per 1,000 people in 2011 to 22.8 daily doses per 1,000 people in 2013.

Antibiotic resistance appears when bacteria become resistant to antibiotics used to treat infections. Among the causes are excessive prescription of antibiotics, interruption of treatment, excessive use of antibiotics in animal breeding and pisciculture, absence of new antibiotics, and non-observance of hygiene rules.