When drug that works for general population in term of a particular disease does not work for you, drug resistance is said to happen.
Clinically speaking, drug resistance is the reduction in the effectiveness of a medication such as antimicrobial e.g antibiotic, antimalarial, antiviral or anti-kochs in treating a disease.
Resistance to drug happen through the following mechanism: drug inactivation, reduced drug accumulation or alteration of target site by micro-organism.
What do you think happens when you dearly needs a medication but it is not working for you. About 25, 000 people die annually due to anti-biotic resistance alone. This has contributed significantly to morbidity and mortality rate globally.
CAUSES OF DRUG RESISTANCE INCLUDE:
• Prolong use of antimicrobial drugs.
• Taking over the counter medication without prescription or indication.
• Use of antibiotics in livestock without consulting veterinarian.
Image credit: google
• Releasing large quantity of antibiotics into the environment during pharmaceutical manufacturing through in adequate wastewater treatment.
• Indiscriminate disposal of expired or used drug at home. Majority of these drugs find their ways into the waterbody which we eventually drink thereby causing drug resistance in us.
HOW TO PREVENT DRUG RESISTANCE
• Excessive antibiotic use has become one of the top contributors to the development of antibiotic resistance. Take antimicrobial only when prescribed by your Physician or Pharmacist.
• Take your medication for as long or short as it is prescribed for you. Do not without the consent of your doctor or pharmacist stopped taking your drug before reaching the recommended dose because you are feeling relieved of your disease. COMPLETE YOUR FULL PRESCRIPTION! If you notice any side effect, consult your health specialist.
• Do not share antibiotics with others. Do not use leftover prescriptions.
- Consult your veterinary doctor before giving antibiotics to your livestock.
VIDEO CREDIT: Pharmacist Abraham
Pharm. Faleye Oyeyemi graduated from faculty of Pharmacy, Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ogun Sate, Nigeria with distinctions and did her one year internship program at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Lagos after which she did her one year compulsory NYSC with National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Lagos.
Oyeyemi has earned herself Certification from University of Washington, Dublin in “Clinical Management of HIV and Leadership and Management in Health.”
Also, Oyeyemi is currently running her Masters program in Pharmaceutics.
She does not only portray academic excellence but the same in paying attention to details. She can be briefly described as a multi-talented fellow.
