The Union government is monitoring the growing incidence of antibiotic resistance across the country, with the indiscriminate and non-prescription use of antibiotics identified as a key driver, the Rajya Sabha was informed on Tuesday.
In a written reply, Minister of State for Health Prataprao Jadhav said the Central government, through the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO), regulates the safety, efficacy and quality of drugs under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940, and its associated rules.
As per the media reports, Minister Jadhav said several measures are being implemented under the National Programme for AMR containment. Information, Education and Communication (IEC) materials have been developed and uploaded on the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) website to raise public awareness.
The Union Health Ministry has also issued Standard Treatment Guidelines (STGs), which are available in the public domain and have been integrated into various National Health Programmes, he said. In addition, guidelines on Infection Prevention and Control have been rolled out to curb healthcare-associated infections and reduce the unnecessary use of antibiotics in clinical settings.
Jadhav further noted that states have been advised to promote the prescription of generic drugs and conduct regular prescription audits in public health facilities. Prescription audits are a mandatory requirement for certification under the National Quality Assurance Standards (NQAS), he added.