Can Kerala’s Policy to Limit Antibiotics Misuse Help Reduce Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR)?
Can Kerala’s Policy to Limit Antibiotics Misuse Help Reduce Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR)?
Sub: Sci
Sec: Health
Why in News
Kerala has launched a pioneering initiative, “Operation Amrith,” to tackle antimicrobial resistance (AMR) by regulating the use of antibiotics, particularly focusing on banning the over-the-counter (OTC) sale of antibiotics without a prescription. This has made Kerala the first Indian state to enforce such stringent rules, highlighting the state’s proactive measures in the fight against AMR.
Operation Amrith
Kerala initiated “Operation Amrith” (Antimicrobial Resistance Intervention for Total Health) in an effort to halt the OTC sale of antibiotics without prescriptions by the end of 2024.
AMRITH programme enforces the original H1 rule, mandating a doctor’s prescription for acquiring any class of antibiotics.
Enforcement of the 2011 H1 Rule
The H1 Rule was introduced by the Indian government in 2011 as part of an amendment to the Drugs and Cosmetics Act. Its primary objective is to regulate the sale of certain antibiotics and other drugs to control their overuse and misuse, which contributes to antimicrobial resistance (AMR).
In January 2024, Kerala became the first state in India to enforce the 2011 H1 rule that prohibits the sale of all antibiotics (first, second, and third-line) without a prescription. Even though the Indian government modified the 2011 rule in 2013 to allow OTC sales of first-line antibiotics, Kerala chose to uphold the original 2011 regulation.
In 2013, following the Chennai Declaration document and initiative by medical societies in India, the Indian government modified the rule to limit the OTC restriction to second and third-line antibiotics, allowing the sale of first-line antibiotics without a prescription.
Aim of modification: This modification was aimed to ensure that life-saving antibiotics remained accessible to the public, especially in remote areas of the country where doctors might not be readily available.
About Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR):
Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) is the ability of a microbe to resist the effects of medication previously used to treat them. It is also known as antibiotic resistance.
As a result, the medicines become ineffective and infections persist in the body.
The WHO defines antimicrobial resistance as a microorganism’s resistance to an antimicrobial drug that was once able to treat an infection by that microorganism.
The resistance to antimicrobials is a natural biological phenomenon. However, the misuse and overuse of antibiotics accelerates the development of AMR.
Microbial resistance to antibiotics has made it harder to treat infections such as pneumonia, tuberculosis (TB), blood poisoning (septicaemia) and several food-borne diseases.