67% pharmacy retailers not well-versed on antimicrobial drugs: DGDA
Antibiotic packaging labels will be changed to make it easier for vendors to identify antibiotic drugs
About 67.3% of pharmacy retailers cannot identify antibiotics from regular medicines properly as they do not have adequate knowledge about antimicrobial drugs, the Directorate General of Drug Administration (DGDA) said today.
SM Sabrina Yasmin, assistant director, DGDA, disclosed the information at a dissemination programme, held in Dhaka Wednesday, on the current AMR Patterns and AMU Trends in Bangladesh.
"Antibiotic packaging labels will be changed to make it easier for vendors to identify antibiotic drugs," said Sabrina Yasmin.
"The word 'antibiotic' will appear bolded in red across half the package," she informed, adding that pharmaceutical companies will release the new packaging in the market within the next six months.
DGDA Director General Major General Mohammad Yusuf said that a Tk20,000 fine has already been proposed if any vendor sells antibiotics without prescription.