The Ministry of Health says it will enforce a strict regulation designed to curb the widespread overuse of antibiotics by doctors and hospitals this year amid concerns of an increase in drug-resistant diseases.
The rule, to take effect on August 1, classifies antibiotics into three categories - restricted, unrestricted and those under special management - based on their safety, effectiveness, drug resistance factors and price.
The overuse of antibiotics is common on the mainland, with doctors often getting bigger kickbacks for prescribing them. Some doctors also tend to rely on powerful antibiotics to achieve quick and effective cures, so they can avoid the risks of prolonged treatment or conflicts with patients, but such actions exacerbate drug resistance. It also leads to an increase in drug-resistant illnesses.
Professor Xiao Yonghong from Zhejiang No1 People's Hospital, the director of the ministry's national drug-resistant bacteria surveillance network, said: 'Drug resistance, mainly because of using unnecessary and excessive antibiotics, is jeopardising public health around the world. Many diseases that could be treated with low level antibiotics will come back and that will be catastrophic.'
The rule says doctors and pharmacists will need to receive training and pass a test before being allowed to prescribe such drugs.
Antibiotics will only be prescribed after the approval of the hospital drug affairs committee and doctors will be held directly responsible for overuse.