This phenomenon is also shown clearly in the case of antibiotics. In the WHO Essential Drug List, there are only 20 antibiotics but there are over 200 antibiotic preparations sold in Malaysia, for example. This baffling array can only generate confusion among prescribers. But the profits are nothing to be sneezed at. And the more the phenomenon of resistance spreads, the more pharmaceutical companies have to invest in new antibiotic research - money that they can recoup with the charging of very high prices for the latest drugs.
Drug companies are out to run a good business, and to be popular with shareholders and governments.
Part of the antibiotic misuse is fostered by the drug companies which zealously promote the medicine as a cure-all in order to sell as much as possible against rival products. Because there are so many drugs sold that are similar, the competition among companies to push their own brands is fierce. Another strategy is to try to widen the indications for its products, that is, claims are made beyond what the drugs can do - even false, misleading or unsubstantiated claims,especially in developing countries. Manufacturers justify their excessive promotion and unethical marketing practices by arguing that they are only following the regulations of these countries. For example, many more precautions are listed for antibiotics sold in the US than in less developed countries.