Prospective audit on antibiotic treatment compliance   

PUTRAJAYA, Sept 26  -- A prospective audit should be carried out to evaluate the compliance of antibiotic treatment against the guidelines provided to reduce antimicrobial resistance (AMR) apart from that, the findings of the audit could help improve the practice of antibiotic prescription.

Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad said AMR, is when bacteria became resistant due to the excessive use of antibiotic which could result in high cost of treatment when patients need to be in the ward longer and use of more expensive antimicrobial medicine after the existing medicine is no longer effective.

Even though the cases of AMR in Malaysia is under control at 30 per cent, it should be reduced through various initiatives which are more comprehensive apart from the commitment of health professionals who deal directly with cases of infection in their daily duties at the hospitals or clinics, he said.  

"Not all infection are caused by bacteria and we must identify first. As such in the medical practice we have 5R to identify the patient properly.

"Firstly, right condition, right patient, right drugs, if the virus cannot be treated with antibiotic such as antifungal, then the right dose and right time are also important,” he said when launching the National Antimicrobial Guideline (NAG) 2019 here today.

NAG was prepared as a guideline to all health professionals in treating infection by promoting the use of antimicrobial medication rationally and with responsibility.  

Referring to The O'Neill Review on Antimicrobial Resistance, Dr Dzulkefly said the AMR resulted from the overuse of antibiotic globally taking 10 million lives each year until 2050.

"The rate is higher from deaths caused by cancer. The same report also estimated economic losses could amount to as much as US$100 trillion a year due to microbe resistance,” he said.

-- BERNAMA