Health Talk | India's initiative to promote the rational use of medicines is a step forward in curbing AMR menace

By promoting judicious use of medications, the initiative not only supports India's universal health coverage goals but also aligns with efforts to combat AMR

In an effort to curb the rampant over-the-counter sale of prescription drugs, which is fuelling the growing menace of antibiotic resistance, the government recently launched a programme to train pharmacists in the rational use of medicines, a move that has been long overdue.

Appropriate use of medicines is a key factor to achieve universal health coverage (Hemant Mishra/ Mint File Photo)

The e-learning programme has been jointly developed by the Translational Health Science and Technology Institute, the government of India, the WHO India country office, and the Pharmacy Council of India.

Why is a programme like this important for India? According to experts, appropriate use of medicines is a key factor to achieve universal health coverage (UHC). India’s push towards UHC can be seen through its shifting focus to preventive health care and strengthening the primary health care delivery system.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) defines rational use of medicines (RUM) as “patients receiving medications appropriate to their clinical needs, in doses that meet their own individual requirements, for an adequate period of time, and at the lowest cost to them and their community”.

The Indian government through the National Health Policy (2017) emphasizes the importance of rational use of medicines including pharmacovigilance in healthcare settings.'

“I firmly advocate that the rational use of medicines is pivotal in preventing avoidable adverse drug effects, optimising therapeutic outcomes by fostering patient adherence, and minimising the overall expenditure on drug therapy,” said Rajeev Singh Raghuvanshi, Drugs Controller General of India, and head, Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation.

The UN health body recommends strategies to promote rational use of medicines that includes drug use policies, clinical guidelines and evidence-based clinical practice, essential medicines list, public education about medicines, and appropriate and enforced regulation.

This move will greatly help in checking antimicrobial resistance (AMR), which occurs when germs like bacteria and fungi develop the ability to defeat the drugs designed to kill them, according to the US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention. This means the germs are not killed by antibiotics and develop a resistance, infections from which can be difficult, and sometimes impossible, to treat.

Without action, AMR could lead to devastating consequences, including lowered life expectancy and significant economic losses. According to WHO, AMR is already a leading cause of death globally, directly responsible for 1.27 million deaths annually, one in five of which occur in children under the age of five, mainly in low- and middle-income countries.

“This programme will enhance the knowledge of pharmacists in the promotion of rational use of medicines across healthcare delivery system in the nation and ultimately contribute to providing quality health care to patients,” said Roderico H Ofrin, WHO Representative to India.