Overuse of antibiotics is chronic in hospitals
Source: Xinhua |
October 20, 2011, Thursday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
Chinese medical experts have warned that antibiotics are "heavily overused" in hospitals, which may cause serious side-effects for the health of an entire generation.
The consumption of antibiotics per capita in China amounts to 138 grams a year, 10 times the level in the United States, said Xiao Yonghong, an expert with the Institute of Clinical Pharmacology at Peking University.
Penicillin is the most overused. According to a report from the Health Ministry, the average dose of penicillin taken by each Chinese annually is almost three times the international level.
According to the ministry, 70 percent of Chinese inpatients have received antibiotics, while the maximum number set by the World Health Organization is 30 percent. About 97 percent of surgery patients used antibiotics but research showed that a large number of them could avoid the need if hospitals conducted proper sanitation measures.
Particularly, antibiotics are overused in the treatment of children. Nearly one third of the daily 10,000 outpatients at the Beijing Children's Hospital take intravenous drips that largely contain antibiotics, said Yang Yonghong, a doctor with the hospital.
"Some doctors might lack proper training on how to apply antibiotics in a more precise way and avoid potential risks. Some simply want to play it safe," said Zhu Zhenggang, president of Shanghai-based Ruijin Hospital.
The ministry launched a nationwide campaign over the past six months to regulate the use of antibiotics. Vice Health Minister Ma Xiaowei admitted that the government faces great challenges as many public hospitals have loosened supervision on prescription safety under heavy pressure from patients.
Insiders also noted that the overuse of antibiotics was partly driven by profit-seeking pharmacy firms. There are more than 6,000 pharmacy companies in China that produce more than 1,000 kinds of antibiotics.
About 60 percent of the newly approved medicines by the State Food and Drug Administration last year were antibiotics. According to the SFDA, the country reported 690,000 cases of adverse drug reactions caused by abuse of medicine, including 600 deaths in 2010.
The consumption of antibiotics per capita in China amounts to 138 grams a year, 10 times the level in the United States, said Xiao Yonghong, an expert with the Institute of Clinical Pharmacology at Peking University.
Penicillin is the most overused. According to a report from the Health Ministry, the average dose of penicillin taken by each Chinese annually is almost three times the international level.
According to the ministry, 70 percent of Chinese inpatients have received antibiotics, while the maximum number set by the World Health Organization is 30 percent. About 97 percent of surgery patients used antibiotics but research showed that a large number of them could avoid the need if hospitals conducted proper sanitation measures.
Particularly, antibiotics are overused in the treatment of children. Nearly one third of the daily 10,000 outpatients at the Beijing Children's Hospital take intravenous drips that largely contain antibiotics, said Yang Yonghong, a doctor with the hospital.
"Some doctors might lack proper training on how to apply antibiotics in a more precise way and avoid potential risks. Some simply want to play it safe," said Zhu Zhenggang, president of Shanghai-based Ruijin Hospital.
The ministry launched a nationwide campaign over the past six months to regulate the use of antibiotics. Vice Health Minister Ma Xiaowei admitted that the government faces great challenges as many public hospitals have loosened supervision on prescription safety under heavy pressure from patients.
Insiders also noted that the overuse of antibiotics was partly driven by profit-seeking pharmacy firms. There are more than 6,000 pharmacy companies in China that produce more than 1,000 kinds of antibiotics.
About 60 percent of the newly approved medicines by the State Food and Drug Administration last year were antibiotics. According to the SFDA, the country reported 690,000 cases of adverse drug reactions caused by abuse of medicine, including 600 deaths in 2010.
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