As part of the activities for this year Antibiotics Awareness Week, Abuja based pharmacist, Pharm. Bimbo Opeyemi been grant TalkHealth9ja interview on Monday, 18th 2019.
Wetin we need to know about antibiotics?
Antibiotics na drugs wey them dey use treat bactertial infections. Misuse dey very common with antibiotics, and e don lead to resistance wey be serious problem now. We dey see people wey dey use antibiotics for cases wey e no need, like for viral infections like cough, cold antibiotics no dey do anything for that kind of situation except secondary bacterial infection dey.
Wetin be the long term effect of misuse of antibiotics?
Long term impact of overuse na resistance, e mean say bacterial don dey used to the antibiotic and e no fit harm them anymore. Another effect of misuse na the destruction of the normal bacterial flora of the body, for example overuse of antibiotics go fit kill some bacterial wey dey necessary for body to operate well, thereby leading to health issues.
Wetin be the consequences of use and overdosing antibiotics?
Make I mention say antibiotics get different classes and them they work in different ways. Like aminoglycosides class with drugs like gentamicin injection for this class fit cause deafness and destroy kidney. But them dey check if the benefit pass the risk, we go still prescribe am. Consequences of overdosing na multiplied effects. Common side effects of antibiotics include; nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, rash and hypersensitivity, imagine drug wey fit cause this kind things at normal dosage, come imagine wetin overdose go cause.
Wetin you fit talk about the quality of drugs wey dey in circulation?
Well, I no fit guarantee the quality of drugs wey dey in circulation because, corruption dey everywhere even for body-matta sector, so drug manufacturers fit dey bribe their way through due processes. E get one lecturer wey tell us say them bring 500mg of Ampiclox for analysis one time like that, say after the analysis they discover say the Ampiclox get little over 100mg, so if guy-man use the drug, na treatment failure e go lead to, and na why patients dey suffer and people dey die.
Wetin be your advice to drug buyers?
As a pharmacists, I dey advice people to buy brands with good names, they fit dey more expensive, but them dey far better on the long run.
We fit use antibiotics as intoxicants or stimulants, as in abuse the drug?
Antibiotics dey misused mostly, as a pharmacist we dey reserve the word abuse for drugs of addiciton, that is, drugs wey dey act on the central nervous system. But Antibiotics dey seriously misused, prostitute fit come house, take Ampiclox for no reason..na misuse be that, they fit prescribe antibiotics for patient for 7 days and after 3 days he/she dey feel better, them go stop to use the drug, na still misuse be that. If this attitude continue, we go return to the era wey antibiotics no go dey to treat infections, because bacteria get sense, them dey adapt to antibiotics.
Wetin be your advise to drug users?
On the use of antibiotics, I go say make people stop to dey use antibiotics unless Docky say make them use am. Make people stop self medication, make them follow and complete the prescription duly, if they notice any side-effects make them stop the drug and go report to their physician immediately.
