A Community Pharmacy perspective on the epidemiology of antimicrobial drugs in the Kuilsriver urban area

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.