A Community Pharmacy perspective on the epidemiology of antimicrobial drugs in the Kuilsriver urban area
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Date
2017
Authors
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Journal ISSN
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Publisher
University of the Western Cape
Abstract
The epidemiology of drugs is 'defined as the manner in which drugs are used by doctors,
nurses, pharmacists and patients. As such epidemiology of antimicrobial drugs is the manner
in which this class of drugs is used by healthcare professional, patients or caregivers.
Antimicrobial drugs have a pivotal role worldwide in preventing infections and treating
infectious diseases. The challenge that lies in the health sector is to maintain antimicrobials'
effectiveness by using them appropriately to avoid toxicity, adverse reactions and resistance
among other problems. The world faces a future in which ten million people could die
annually due to infections that are resistant to available antibiotics. Despite people already
dying of drug-resistant infections in private and public hospitals, doctors are still prescribing
antibiotics for viral infections, for which they have no effect. The aim of this research is to
study the epidemiology of antimicrobial drugs and factors that lead to the inappropriate use of
antimicrobials, which is resulting in a steep rise of antimicrobial resistance in the private
sector from a community pharmacy perspective.
Description
Magister Pharmaceuticae - Mpharm
Keywords
Epidemiology; Antimicrobial; Resistance; private sector; Health care