The medical authorities sound the alarm as antibiotic resistance has spread and the number of efficient antibiotics has decreased. Minister of Health Ruxanda Glavan said about 10% of all the medicines used in Moldova are antibiotics, IPN reports.
In a news conference dedicated to World Antibiotics Awareness Week held during November 14-20, Ruxanda Glavan said antibiotic residence became a global public health problem that is growing rapidly in each country, including the Republic of Moldova. This implies additional costs for the health system.
“Antibiotic resistance appears when bacteria evolve and become resistant to antibiotics prescribed by doctors or when these are used chaotically by patients. For this reason, some of the antibiotics become inefficient and do not treat infectious diseases. This leads to severe complications and additional costs for each patient,” said the minister.
According to Ruxanda Glavan, antibiotic resistance appears as a result of a number of reasons, including excessive use of antibiotics by humans, in pisciculture and animal breeding, lack of sanitary culture and hygiene among the people and insufficient infectious control in hospitals.
The Ministry of Health started to work out the national strategy and the plan of action for ensuring the prudent use of antibiotics and is reviewing the national clinical protocols and will monitor how doctors observe these protocols.
In this connection, the minister noted that cases of release of drugs without medical prescription were identified in 26 of the 30 pharmacies inspected by the Pharmaceutical Inspectorate in September. These drugstores will be fined up to 1,000 lei.
On the occasion of World Antibiotics Awareness Week, a number of medical institutions and shopping centers of Moldova will stage flashmob meetings, public and individual discussions and roundtable meetings and will distribute promotional and informational materials and video messages to raise awareness of the growing problem of antibiotic resistance.
