Latest news with #nPROUD
Time of India
08-05-2025
- Health
- Time of India
State intensifies measures to curb antibiotic misuse
T'puram: Health minister Veena George said that the govt suspended the licences of 450 pharmacies and cancelled the licences of two as part of strong measures to curb the under the (KARSAP).The govt directive that antibiotics should not be sold in medical stores without a doctor's prescription has been almost fully implemented, she added. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now George said that through robust actions, the use of antibiotics decreased by 20 to 30 percent and the antibiotics used are comparatively less threatening.A high-level antimicrobial resistance (AMR) meeting was convened under the minister's leadership. The meeting recommended strengthening tests to detect antibiotic residues in milk, meat and fish. Comprehensive measures were also suggested to reduce the levels of antibiotics in cattle and poultry part of making all hospitals in Kerala antibiotic-smart, a colour-coding system will be introduced. All hospitals must implement this within three months, she added. Guidelines for local bodies as part of antibiotic literacy will also be released and local self-govt institutions will be colour-coded accordingly. Based on this colour code, micro-plans should be developed to make all local self-govt institutions must be dispensed only in blue covers for identification and all hospitals, medical stores and pharmacies must implement this, she said. Steps have been taken to convert more hospitals into antibiotic-smart hospitals. With the help of organizations like IMA, API, IAP and CIDS, efforts will be intensified in the private sector. Health workers visited over 4,00,000 homes to raise awareness. The goal is to make the state antibiotic literate by Dec this the first time in the country, George directed other districts to gradually release district-level antibiograms based on the hub-and-spoke model introduced by Ernakulam district. The nPROUD (new Programme on Removal of Unused Drugs) initiative implemented by state drugs control department in Kozhikode for the scientific collection and processing of expired and unused medicines will be expanded statewide. Kerala is also the only state conducting AMR surveillance at both secondary and primary levels.
The Hindu
08-05-2025
- Health
- The Hindu
KARSAP: 450 pharmacy licences suspended, five cancelled
Licences of 450 pharmacies have been suspended and that of five cancelled to prevent antibiotic misuse as part of strengthening the Kerala Antimicrobial Resistance Strategic Action Plan (KARSAP), Minister for Health Veena George has said. The Minister who presided over a meeting on antimicrobial resistance (AMR) said the government directive to medical stores to not sell antibiotics without doctors' prescription had been almost fully implemented. The use of antibiotics had not only declined by 20-30% in the State, but it had also been ensured that those in use were comparatively less dangerous. The meeting decided to intensify tests to detect antibiotic residues in milk, meat, and fish. Directions were given to reduce antibiotic levels in cattle and poultry feed. Colour coding It was decided to introduce colour coding to make all hospitals in the State antibiotic smart hospitals. All hospitals should implement the coding in three months. Directions were also given to issue guidelines for local self-government institutions (LSGIs) as part of the antibiotic literacy. The LSGIs would be colour coded according to these guidelines. It was on this basis that they would have to prepare microplans to become antiobiotic smart. Antibiotics should be dispensed in blue covers to make their identification easier. All hospitals, medical stores, and pharmacies should implement this. Steps had also been taken to make more hospitals antibiotic smart. Activities would be strengthened in the private sector with the support of organisations such as Indian Medical Association, Association of Physicians of India, and the Indian Academy of Paediatrics. Antibiotic literate The Minister said the State was aiming at becoming antibiotic literate by December. She directed that the first district-level antibiogram in the country, brought out by Ernakulam, would be brought out in other districts too in phases. nPROUD (New Program for the Removal of Unused Drugs) launched in Kozhikode for collecting unused and expired drugs and disposing of them scientifically would be expanded across the State.
