Lok Sabha Question No. 1064 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-02-08
Subject: Misuse of Antibiotics
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: JANARDAN SINGH SIGRIWAL, PONNUSAMY VENUGOPAL

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1064 TO BE ANSWERED ON 08 TH FEBRUARY, 2019

## MISUSE OF ANTIBIOTIC S

## 1064. SHRI JANARDAN SINGH SIGRIWAL:

## DR. P. VENUGOPAL:

Will the Minister of HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE be pleased to state:

(a) whether the doctors have expressed their views at a conference during antibiotics awareness week  that  excessive use  of  antibiotics  boosts  various  diseases and  cau es  damage  to  human organs and if so, the details thereof;

(b) whether it is also true that use of the drugs has more than doubled between 2000 and 2015 and if so, the details thereof;

(c) whether it is also true that misuse and overuse of antibiotics have made once easily treatable bacteria infections harder n  often impossible to cure because bacteria evolve rapidly to evade antibiotics, leading to drug resistance and if so, the details thereof;

(d) whether it is also true that this phenomenon is on the rise not only because of inappropriate use of antibiotics in human medicine but also due to practices in the agricultural industry and if so, the details thereof;

(e) whether it is true that no new antibiotic drug has been launched after 1975 and if so, the reason s therefor; and

(f) whether the Government is likely to formulate any effective guidelines to check the misuse of antibiotics and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE (SHRI ASHWINI KUMAR CHOUBEY)

(a) & (b): Excessive use of antibiotics as well as using them without prescription of tr doctors  are  likely  to  cause  antibiotic  resistance  and  damage  to  human  organs. As  per  the information with the Drug Controller General of India, antibio tics consumption has increased from 3.2 to 6.5 billion Defined Daily Doses (DDDs) (103%) in India between 2000 and 2015.

(c) & (d): As per available scientific information, Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) occu naturally over time, usually through gene tic changes.  The misuse and overuse of antimicrobials can accelerate the process of AMR, making the once easily treatable bacterial infections and often impossible to cure. Inappropriate use of antibiotics in human, animal and agri sector a re also known to contribute to the rapid emergence of AMR.

- ( e): As per the Drug Controller General (India), m any antibiotics have been approved for manufacturing and marketing in the country after 1975.
- (f): Government has taken the following actions to check the misuse of antibiotics:
- I.Antibiotics have been included in Schedule H and H1 of the Drugs and Cosmetic Rules a are  required  to  be  sold  by  retail  only  under  the  prescription  of  a  Registered Practitioner.
- II. Government has issued Nationa l Treatment guidelines for judicious use of antibiotics.  T Guidelines  on  Infection  Prevention  and  Control  aims  at  prevention  and  control healthcare associated infections to reduce the use of antibiotics in healthcare sett
- III. The  Food  Safety  and  S tandards  Authority  of  India  (FSSAI)  has  issued  a  Notification prohibiting the use of 19 antibiotics and veterinary drugs at any stage of proces meat,  meat  products,  poultry  and  eggs,  sea  food  or  any  variety  of  fish  and  fi products and has speci fied tolerance limits for 103 antibiotics and veterinary drugs various animal tissues and milk.
- IV. The Drugs and Cosmetic Rules, amended in 2012, provides that the container of a medic for treatment of food producing animals shall be labelled with th withdrawal period of the drug for the species on which it is intended to be used.
- V. The Drug Technical Advisory Board (DTAB) has recommended prohibition of Colistin and its formulations for use in food producing animals, poultry and acqua farming a as animal feed supplements.