An important study by the Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) shows that nearly half of antibiotics prescribed by private clinics in Qatar may be unnecessary.
The study has evaluated more than 75,000 health insurance claims related to prescriptions for antibiotics and found that 45 percent were for conditions which typically do not require antibiotics.
Improper use of antibiotics accelerates the emergence of drug-resistant infections, which results in an increased risk of serious illness and even death among individuals with infections caused by drug-resistant bacteria or pathogens.
The study published in the International Journal of Infectious Diseases has examined the pattern of antibiotic prescriptions for outpatients in private clinics in Qatar between May 2014 and December 2015 and highlighted the importance of not prescribing medications unnecessarily, such as in cases where infections are known to be self-limiting.
A team led by Professor Adeel Ajwad Butt, Vice Chair for Faculty Affairs, Department of Medicine and Director of the Clinical Epidemiology Research Unit at HMC, with clinicians and researchers from HMC, the Ministry of Public Health and Qatar University has conducted the study.
“We found that most of the inappropriate claims, around 85 percent, were for acute upper respiratory tract infections (URTIs), which are caused by viruses and do not require antibiotics,” a HMC statement yesterday quoted Professor Butt as saying.
Professor Butt noted that in recent years there has been a global increase in antibiotic resistance, compounded by the limited number of new drugs being discovered. He said the driving force for this increase is the abuse or overuse of antibiotics, especially for upper respiratory tract infections.
Antibiotics only effective against bacteria, not viruses
“Antibiotics are an important tool in relieving symptoms of bacterial infections and can help patients recover faster. However, improper use can cause many different types of bacteria to become unresponsive to antibiotics. In recent years, resistance to antibiotics has become more common and many diseases cannot be treated as well as they could in the past,” added Professor Butt.
However, physicians at some private clinics, The Peninsula spoke to deny the claim and say that they have a “clear policy” in prescribing antibiotics.
“We have a clear policy in prescribing antibiotics, we initially give patients the first line medicine and only if it’s necessary we prescribe stronger medicines,” said a physician at a leading private clinic.
“There are some other patients who would have seen two or three doctors before and come to us, so they have already taken the first line medicines and we are left with no choice, but prescribe stronger medicines,” he added.
Some physicians said that the availability of antibiotics in the market is limited.
“All types of antibiotics, especially the strong ones are not available for the private sector market in Qatar. We can only prescribe very less number of antibiotics and we do it only if needed,” said another physician.
While, Professor Abdul-Badi Abou-Samra, Chairman of Internal Medicine for HMC, emphasizes that the misuse of antibiotics threatens the usefulness of these important drugs.
“Antibiotics are one of the most powerful tools we have to fight life-threating infections. They can successfully combat infections that used to be fatal, like bacterial pneumonia. However, the misuse, including the overuse, of antibiotics promotes antibiotic resistance. If we continue to use them inappropriately, we will undermine our ability to treat patients with deadly infections and diseases,” said Professor Abou-Samra.
He added that it is important for patients to respect their physician’s recommendation, saying that antibiotics are only effective against bacteria, not infections caused by viruses.
“Some patients will request an antibiotic for common infections caused by viruses, such as coughs, colds or the flu. Antibiotics are not effective in treating these conditions and strains of streptococcus, which can cause diseases such as strep throat, meningitis and pneumonia are often resistant to antibiotics,” said Professor Abou-Samra.
