Have you ever taken a medication that didn't work as expected? You might have wondered:
- Is this drug fake?
- Has it expired?
- Did my physician or pharmacist recommended the wrong dose?
- Did I misunderstand the usage instructions?
- Did I take the drug at the wrong time or with something I shouldn't have?
These concerns can be frustrating and worrisome. But there's another possibility: Drug Resistance.
This article explore the alarming trends of drug resistance, its causes, consequences and possible solutions
What is Drug Resistance?
Drug resistance occurs when a medication loses its effectiveness against a specific disease or condition¹, thus making it difficult or impossible to treat such medical condition, increasing the risk of disease spread, severe illness, disability and death. And this happens when bacteria, viruses, or cells become less sensitive to the drug.
Common examples of Drug Resistance:
Drug resistance is a significant challenge in treating various infectious diseases, including:
- Parasitic infections (malaria)
- Bacterial infections (typhoid fever, gonorrhea)
- Viral infections (hepatitis, HIV)
- Fungal infections (oral thrush, ringworm)
- Certain conditions like cancer
Drug resistance is a critical health concern that affects many treatments. Understanding its causes and implications is essential to addressing this issue.
Are you aware that;
*The World Health Organization considers antimicrobial resistance (AMR) a major public health and development threat, with 1.27 million directly linked deaths and 4.95 million associated deaths reported in 2019 alone².
*Another data from World Bank projects that AMR threatens global health care economic systems which could lead to bankruptcy as its cost could reach US$1 Trillion by 2050 with 3.4 trillion GDP loss per year from 2030².
*Plasmodium falciparum, the most prevalent and deadliest malaria parasite in Africa³, has alarmingly developed resistance to nearly all currently available antimalarial drugs, including; Sulfadoxine/pyrimethamine, Mefloquine, Quinine⁴
*Multiple Drug Resistance is a primary contributor to treatment failure in oncology, for over 90% mortality rate in patient undergoing conventional or targeted chemotherapy⁵.
What are the causes of these resistance?
Patient-Related Factor
-Poor literacy
-I am better now, why should I keep taking this bitter pill.
Skipping doses.
-Taking multiple doses at same time.
-Poor hygiene and sanitation
Pharmaceutical Factors
-Counterfeit drugs
-Expired drugs
-Poor storage condition
-Inefficient Supply chain
-Absence of newer drugs.
Socioeconomic Barriers
-Financial constraints
-Lack of access to quality health care.
Microorganisms
-Genetic mutation
-Efflux pumps
-Target modifications
What could happen next?
Drug Resistance could result into;
Patient-Health
-Severe illness
-Prolong ailment
-Extended side effects of medications
-Complications
Economic Implications
-Heightened treatment cost
-Loss of productivity
-Increase demands on the scarce resources
Societal Burden
-Increase rate of disease spread
-Increase health care expenditures
-Stigma
Medication Related Burden
-Failed therapy
-Prolong therapy
-Extended side effects of medications.
What is the way Out?
Combating drug resistance requires a multifaceted approach. Thus stakeholders at various point of intervention need to critically work together to ensure this encroaching health emergency is addressed. Both long and short term policies need to be formulated and adhered to. Some of these solutions include:
Societal Focus
-Practice good hygiene
-Discourage Stigmatization
-Support Health Education
-Herd Vaccination
Patient Focus
-Avoid the misuse and abuse of antibiotics and other medications.
-Always seek health care counsel before you take any medication
-Ensure you adhere to the medication prescribed
Health Care Givers
-Proper and rapid diagnosis to ensure timely and effective intervention.
-Alternative therapy for certain conditions such as immune system modulation for bacterial infections.
-Research and development to proffer solutions
Government and International Bodies
-Infectious Disease Control
-Data sharing should be encouraged
-Funding and policy support.
-Surveillance and monitoring of indicators.
Conclusion
Drug resistance is a long-standing issue and the good news it can be stopped. All it takes is a collective action to halt it progress. Every conscious decision counts-take responsibility today.
By
Christopher Dzubamu Charles
References
1. "Drug Resistance" ScienceDirect, Elsevier, 2024 https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/pharmacology-toxicology-and-pharmaceutical-science/drug-resistance
2. World Health Organization. "Antimicrobial Resistance". World Health Organization, 21 November 2023
3. World Health Organization.
"Malaria". World Health Organization, 4 December 2023
4. Center for Disease Control. "Malaria". Center for Disease Control, 2020
5. Bukowski K, Kciuk M, Kontek R. "Mechanisms of Multidrug Resistance in Cancer Chemotherapy". Int J Mol Sci. 2020 May 2;21(9):3233. doi: 10.3390/ijms21093233. PMID: 32370233; PMCID: PMC7247559.
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