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Indonesian Doctors Criticized for ‘Alarming’ Use of Antibiotics
April 16, 2011

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yeri ekomunajat
9:22pm Apr 18, 2011

@Herbert, absolutely, many doctors fake their way into the specialist program by falsifying their toefl score. They paid more to any language course that is willing to do this for them.If they cut corner like this, we could expect that they will do the same thing when prescribing drug to their patients.They never improve their medical knowledge because they are barely able to understand English scientific journal or book. It seems to me that they gain their knowledge through rote learning method.

@Mohammad Gandhi, yes that's right. Many rich Indonesians prefer going to Singapore or advanced countries because they will get better treatment and service. We often hear the case of malpractice here.

favenchi
8:33pm Apr 17, 2011

Look carefully around your local hospital waiting room. There'll no doubt be a group of enthusiastic young (sales)men (with black bags) waiting to converge on a doctor or specialist with samples and details of their medical companies products.

Moreover if the doctor or specialist gains an overseas jaunt, the question is "who pays for this"?

Something the Jakarta Globe would do well to investigate!


bigyun
8:26pm Apr 17, 2011

Is it any wonder that Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand have thriving medical tourism and Indonesia doesn't.

Mohammad.Gandhi
11:38pm Apr 16, 2011

Yeah...yeah... Indonesian doctors are incompetent, why don't we allow expatriate doctors to practice in Indonesia?

BrahmaPutra
9:09pm Apr 16, 2011

yes every time iv'e been to the doctor they have prescribed antibiotics i only take them if after my own net research i believe they are warranted ie i have a bacterial infection.

The use of antibiotics has reached an alarming level in Indonesia, fueled by poor diagnosis, ignorance and poor regulation of drugs, experts say.

“Irrational use of drugs, including antibiotics, is a global problem, but sporadic surveys show that the use of antibiotics in Indonesia has reached an excessive level,” said Purnamawati, a pediatrician and founder of the Foundation for Concerned Parents.

The most recent survey, conducted by Purnamawati’s foundation in 17 Indonesian cities, revealed that antibiotics were prescribed in 78.4 percent of cases of respiratory and stomach illnesses in children in 2008 — against 54.5 percent in 2006.

Such conditions are generally caused by viruses that are not treated by antibiotics, Purnamawati said.

The survey also showed that on average five different brands of drugs, including antibiotics and antihistamines, were prescribed for every case of respiratory infection, with generic drugs accounting for less than a quarter of drugs prescribed.

“Polypharmacy [the use of more drugs than necessary] is rampant not only in Jakarta, but also in other cities,” Purnamawati told IRIN. “Apart from the financial cost, there’s an intangible cost when we are prescribed antibiotics when we don’t need them. It’s a very high price to pay.”

Misuse of medicines, particularly antibiotics, leaves patients with fewer options for treatment when bacteria become resistant, said the World Health Organization’s representative in Indonesia, Khanchit Limpakarnjanarat, at a recent seminar.

In Southeast Asia, misuse and poor access to other drugs continue to be major components of the widespread inappropriate use of antibiotics, according to WHO. A comprehensive study led by the WHO and government is under way.

Patients too often demand that doctors prescribe antibiotics because they believe the drugs will speed up recovery, said Hari Paraton, chairman of the Antimicrobial Resistance Control Programme at Dr Soetomo Hospital in Surabaya.

“The situation is the same across Indonesia,” he said. “Doctors, pharmacists and the public contribute to the problems.”

IRIN