Emmanuel Kibwil
Antimicrobial resistance represents a threat to the well-being of people all over the planet. Once bacteria are resistant, antimicrobial agents become ineffective, which means they cannot be used for disease prevention and control. The misuse and abuse of antimicrobial drugs in animals, humans or plants is a major factor for the emergence and development of resistance to antimicrobials against bacteria, also known as antibiotics. Hundreds of antibiotics are marketed every year, some however, are prescription drugs and should therefore not be dispensed without medical prescription. The present study investigates the regulation of antibiotics in the city of Kinshasa, in the Dem Rep of Congo. Article 38 and 39 of the Therapeutic Goods Act 2015 forbid the sale of antibiotics by pharmacies without prescription from an authorised medical practitioner. We surveyed 150 pharmacies in 3 different health districts of Kinshasato establish whether they complied with this regulation,and what the public health implications of compliance or lack thereof could be. Good practice was measured using these indicators: medical prescription required, professional advice was given, inquiry about allergies prior to sale and satisfying treatment adherence. The results showed that the shortage of pharmacists and pharmacy assistants contributes to the misuse and abuse of antibiotics. Moreover, those who bought their medicines from a hospital’s pharmacy were less likely to misuse them than their counterparts who got them from other points of sales.