May 14, 2012
In “Indians popping more antibiotics than ever: Study,” reporter Kounteya Sinha unpacks a graphic on carbapenem sales released as part of CDDEP’s data visualization series. The graphic (reproduced below) shows a rapid increase in carbapanem antibiotic sales in India and Pakistan between 2005 and 2010. These trends are concerning because high levels of carbapenem use contribute to the development of resistance to this particulary important class of antibiotics, often used as “last-resort” treatments for infections caused by multi-drug resistant, gram-negative pathogens.
In Times of India, Sinha looks at these trends in carbapenem sales within the Indian context, and also draws on a recent warning about the “wonder drugs” that are antibiotics, issued by WHO Director-General Margaret Chan: “today, the message is clear — the world is on the brink of losing these miracle cures.”
Carbapenems are powerful IV antibiotics, typically used as a “last resort” to treat serious infections caused by multi-drug resistant, gram-negative pathogens. This graph shows trends in retail carbapenem dispensing – that is, vials and preparations purchased in pharmacies outside hospitals, and administered in the outpatient setting. In developed countries, such use is warranted only in limited contexts for example when outpatient parenteral antimicrobial therapy (OPAT) is indicated. The high price of carbapenems puts them out of reach for many in low-resource settings, including French West Africa. Nevertheless, sales in India and Pakistan are rising due to widespread over-the-counter availability of antibiotics. In the absence of regulations, carbapenem use may often be unnecessary, leading to concerns about the emergence of resistant organisms that are nearly impossible to treat.
“Francophone West Africa” includes Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Congo, Gabon, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Mali, Senegal, and Togo.
Image credit: Flickr: nikirikou
