In India, doctors and pharmacists are required to follow certain guidelines to ensure the responsible use of antibiotics:
Doctors must provide a reason
Doctors are required to write the reason for prescribing antibiotics to patients. This is to ensure that antibiotics are used wisely and only when necessary.
Pharmacists must sell antibiotics with a prescription
Pharmacists are required to sell antibiotics only with a prescription from a qualified doctor. Antibiotics are listed in Schedule H of the Drugs and Cosmetics Rules and are not to be sold over-the-counter.
Stricter enforcement
The government is enforcing stricter rules to ensure that antibiotics are only sold with a prescription.
Antibiotic misuse and overuse is a major driver of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), which makes infections harder to treat and increases treatment costs. In 2018, the Indian government launched the National Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance to improve awareness and promote responsible antibiotic use.
