Antimicrobial Resistance; What's the big deal?

Imaging getting to the hospital for a severe bacterial infection and being told:

Sorry we don't have any effective treatment to give for this stain anymore!

That's where the world is heading;

We are dangerously close!

Listen up: in as little as 10 years we could have run out of options to treat all the super bugs currently being mishandled.

How exactly is antimicrobial misuse linked to resistant strains and treatment failure?

I'm glad you asked;  every time you take an antimicrobial medication incorrectly (dose, duration, frequency, type, or treatment option) you actually give that bug, or others around it a taste of what was supposed to kill it; but instead with this "taste", the bug incorporates the drug in its DNA and subsequently becomes enhanced, empowered and immune to it. 

This simplified explanation is to tell you to be very careful with your medication. When in doubt, ALWAYS ask your pharmacist to explain and confirm your treatment. 

Unfortunately, power struggles in the medical sphere sees a rise in patients demand towards their prescribers (every condition is a suspected infection that requires antibiotics), as well as many prescribers' carelessness in prescribing patterns. With many taking shortcuts when it comes to correctly identifying causative agents. These compounded tragedies are leading us to a point of no return. 

The 4rth industrial revolution is bringing along an unimaginable microbial disaster; if nothing is done. 

Prescribers: be careful. Resort to antimicrobials under extraordinary precaution and care. 

Dispensers: be careful. Counsel and warn your patients with utmost clarity, providing treatment assistance and reminders.  

Patients: be careful. Do not demand from experts what you think you know. They will provide the best treatment option if you remove your "paying-customer-is-king" pressures from their sworn responsibilities, lengthy degrees, and daily clinical experiences. 

Let's all work together in care and respect.  

#Pharmers

#pharmacy 

#antimicrobials 

#stewards

#healthCare 

Pharmacy - Cornerstone of Health Care!

Whatever disease, illness or condition you may come across (go ahead and think of at least 3), part or the entire treatment protocol will require medicines. And who says medicine says: PHARMACY!

Who's in charge and running (around in) the pharmacy? Pharmacists of course! With the help of their assistants. 

But that's overly simplified you might think. Medicines being sold in a pharmacy don't quite illustrate the entire health care scenery does it? So why is pharmacy cornerstone?

Well they give you the final products. The end valuable result of the complex pharmacy machine! That's not all! You see,  health care in essence is the organized provision of medical care to individuals or communities. As each component of care giving requires either consumables, medicines or tools; pharmacists are the only licensed, sworn in, and responsible authorities for safely providing these to everyone else.  

To provide quality health care, rigorous investigations must be done. Diseases, their cause and progression, their treatment or management etc is studied with the aim of curing or at least controlling the condition. Pharmacists do that. Any agent which causes a desired physiological response can be deemed a drug, how it works and should be administered to treat and cure diseases is the pharmacists' prerogative! If you're still not convinced,  consider the following concluding points.

5 ways pharmacists are the cornerstones of health care: 

○They manufacture ALL available drugs; no pharmacist, no medication. 

○They understand both sides of diseases: etiologies vs therapies; no pharmacist, no prescription, disease & drug gate keeping. 

○They have basic and advanced knowledge regarding Primary, Emergency and Secondary/ Tertiary health care; no pharmacists, no adequate intermediate resources connecting all treatment levels. 

○They ensure quality treatments from obtaining raw materials, to maintaining quality through storage, manufacturing, packaging, distribution, prescribed indications and patient use. No pharmacist, no quality treatment. 

○they are the ultimate health care multitaskers: making the actual medications, ordering and controlling supply, supervising staff, consulting & counselling patients, intervening in patient therapies, mediating between prescribers and insurance providers, referring or initiating care, teaching and educating communities, while running profitable businesses among many others! No pharmacist, no cross-disciplinary, functional health care system!

You just can't beat them.

Pharmacists remain the undefeated,  unprecedented but ultimately undermined,  health care professionals!

Love and respect your pharmacist. Be patient while your community pharmacist helps you. They are there to optimize your treatment (outcomes) and improve your quality of life but if you rush them and they make a mistake it could really harm you.




Brought to you by: www.pharmers.co.za

Pharmacy Blog 

Codeine Abuse: what are you doing?

Should codeine containing products be regulated? How do we curb the rampant concerns of abuse we face in our daily settings as pharmacists? 

Well this short article raises a few suggestions but many more questions. 

We've all seen the typical codeine suspect coming in to get yet another box of "codein" with a friendly smile and a ready-to-use excuse. 

It's for family, I forgot mine at home, I travelled... etc etc. 

We indulge them more often then not and advise them to only buy for themselves and not for other family members but is it enough? 

It's especially worrying when they directly request (by name) specific codeine syrups and combination flu tablets without allowing the dispenser to suggest anything else or even slightly deviate from their request! There's no telling what goes in their private homes.. do they drink the whole bottle and take multiple pills at once? 

We often see notes or alerts left by previous dispenser warning the next dispenser of a possible addiction or misuse; But when do we say NO and refuse to sell?

Should there be a form that they fill much like that of the morning after/ emergency contraception? 

Should the law change yo limit the number of purchases of pack size and frequency per month? 

Should health care professionals make a bigger effort to educate populations against the misuse of codeine and its dangers? 

If we have sugar tax and other bizzar regulations surely the state can be more stringent concerning its beloved citizens' health? 

If you had a say and a national impact how would you address the issue of codeine abuse and misuse. 

Codeine:

You work too well for your own good. 

Brought to you by:

 www.pharmers.co.za

Why do we eat when taking tablets

We've all been advised to take our medication with food. Since childhood, it's a common thing to hear. Although most drugs don't actually require food, here's a couple of reasons why:

1. Disguise taste : many drugs have unpleasant tastes. By taking them with food, their foul tastes can be masked and avoided altogether. 

2. Reduce side effects (nausea and vomiting): drugs that have known and pronounced nausea and vomiting side effect profiles can be improved by advising patients to take them with food in an attempt to attenuate these reactions. Penicillins can cause nausea and by taking them with food, tolerance in most patients is improved. 

3. Metabolism: in some cases, food can delay, speed up or improve the absorption of certain drugs. In the case of some oral anti fungals for example, fatty food promotes absorption of acidic drugs. 

4. Sensitivities: the gastrointestinal tract is lined with soft delicate epithelial cells and these can often become sensitive in some patients; having food with drugs ensure that no direct contact with these cells and potentially abrasive drugs occur. In this case food acts as a protective lining to reduce irritations. 

It's important to note that, needing to take your medicine with food is not a call to gluttony. I'm most cases a piece of fruit or snack is enough. No need to fill up your plates and overindulge under pretext of medicine. 

Another point to note is that certain foods like grapefruit shouldn't be taken with medicine as it may induce metabolism 

And reduce drug efficacy. 

For these reasons and more, it is a rule of thumb to take medicine with food; Unless specifically indicated to be taken on an empty stomach. 

Brought to you by: 

www.pharmers.co.za

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