"Inappropriate use of antibiotics is a significant driver of antibiotic resistance in India," noted the study. As per WHO, antibiotic resistance is rising to dangerously high levels in all parts of the world.  Photograph:( Others )

The over-the-counter sale of antibiotics is also giving rise to complications like antibiotic resistance

A new study by Lancet has found that India severely overuses antibiotics and a huge part of the formulations that the country's private sector uses aren't even approved by the Central drug regulator.

The private sector's use contributes to about 85-90 per cent of the total antibiotic use in India and more than 47 per cent of the formulations used in 2019 are not approved by the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO), says the study published in The Lancet Regional Health-Southeast Asia as reported by PTI.

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According to the study, cefixime 200 mg tablets (6.5 per cent) and azithromycin 500 mg tablets (7.5 per cent) were the two most popular antibiotic formulations in India during the year.

"Largely unrestricted over-the-counter sales of most antibiotics, manufacturing and marketing of many FDC and overlap in regulatory powers between national and state-level agencies complicate antibiotics availability, sales, and consumption in the country," said the authors of the study.

The over-the-counter sale of antibiotics is also giving rise to complications like antibiotic resistance. 

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"Inappropriate use of antibiotics is a significant driver of antibiotic resistance in India," noted the study.

As per WHO, antibiotic resistance is rising to dangerously high levels in all parts of the world. 

"Where antibiotics can be bought for human or animal use without a prescription, the emergence and spread of resistance is made worse."

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Researchers based their study on information acquired from a group of 9,000 wholesalers who stock goods from about 5,000 pharmaceutical manufacturers, reports PTI.

The public sector, which as per estimates from the national health accounts and other studies makes up for less than 15–20 per cent of all drug sales in the nation, is not included in the Lancet study.

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