Mathew Philip, Thomas Shruthi Anna, Chandy Sujith J
Community Medicine, Pushpagiri Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Centre, Tiruvalla, Kerala, India.
ReAct Asia Pacific, Christian Medical College, Vellore, India.
J Family Med Prim Care. 2022 Jun;11(6):2656-2661. doi: 10.4103/jfmpc.jfmpc_1811_21. Epub 2022 Jun 30.
Over-the-counter (OTC) sale of antibiotics have contributed to the growing threat of antibiotic resistance. The Government of India has instituted regulatory measures, such as Schedule H1 and public campaigns such as Red Line Campaign, to limit such sales. This study was conducted to assess the perceptions of stakeholders regarding their effectiveness.
To assess Schedule H1, pharmacists who own retail pharmacies in the state of Kerala, India, were interviewed using a pre-prepared question guide. In the next phase, healthcare professionals and patients in a hospital were shown the Red Line on an antibiotic blister pack and asked about its significance. Finally, 100 patients were shown a blister pack of Amoxicillin, and asked to identify the medicine or its use.
It was observed that there is poor awareness about antibiotic regulations and a perception of laxity in enforcement. Regarding the Red Line, only 7% of healthcare professionals could describe its significance and none among patients. Among the 100 patients who were shown Amoxicillin, only 42 could identify it as an antibiotic or describe its use.
There is a general perception that regulations are poorly enforced and all are not aware of the Red Line campaign including healthcare professionals. Greater awareness at all levels about appropriate antibiotic use through prescriptions followed by greater efforts towards regulatory implementation and compliance should form parts of a multi-modal strategy to contain OTC sales of antibiotics. This will greatly help to aid physicians in improving overall healthcare through safe and effective prescribing.
非处方（OTC）销售抗生素加剧了抗生素耐药性这一日益严重的威胁。印度政府已制定监管措施，如H1附表，以及开展“红线运动”等公众宣传活动，以限制此类销售。本研究旨在评估利益相关者对这些措施有效性的看法。
为评估H1附表，使用预先准备好的问题指南对印度喀拉拉邦拥有零售药店的药剂师进行了访谈。在下一阶段，向一家医院的医护人员和患者展示抗生素泡罩包装上的红线，并询问其意义。最后，向100名患者展示阿莫西林的泡罩包装，要求他们识别药物或其用途。
研究发现，人们对抗生素法规的认识不足，且认为执法力度不够。关于红线，只有7%的医护人员能够描述其意义，患者中无人知晓。在展示了阿莫西林的100名患者中，只有42人能够将其识别为抗生素或描述其用途。
人们普遍认为法规执行不力，包括医护人员在内，所有人都不了解“红线运动”。通过处方提高各级对合理使用抗生素的认识，随后加大监管实施和合规力度应成为遏制抗生素非处方销售的多模式战略的一部分。这将极大地帮助医生通过安全有效的处方改善整体医疗保健。
