Pharmacists urge adherence to prescriptions to end malaria drug resistance

Mr Sunday Ike, National Publicity Secretary of the Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN) has advised people to follow medical prescriptions in order to reduce the prevalence of malaria drug resistance.

Ike, who was the immediate past Chairman of ACPN, FCT Chapter said this in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Abuja.

He said the increased rate of drug resistance by malaria parasite was due to indiscriminate use of drugs.

Ike said that resistance to drugs of any ailment increased morbidity and mortality.

He, however, identified measures to guide against drug resistance to include going for test and avoidance of self-medication among others.

“There is an increase in drug resistance by malaria parasites due to indiscriminate use of malaria drugs.

“Also, some people do not always finish their treatment when diagnosed of malaria. If they notice improvement after first or second doses they discontinue treatment. This incomplete treatment will also lead to drug resistance parasites.

“In order to avoid drug resistance, you must be tested to ascertain if you have malaria or not as against the usual practice where people buy and take drugs indiscriminately because they suspected they have malaria.

“It is expected that you take a complete dose of malaria drugs mostly Artemisinin-based Combination Therapy (ACT) when malaria is confirmed through diagnosis as against indiscriminate use of drugs,” he said.

(NAN)