The Pharmaceutical Society of Malawi – PHASOM has issued a stern warning to drug store owners and workers that are selling antimicrobials illegally.

The warning follows an observation by PHASOM that the market has been flooded with antimicrobials without valid prescriptions by qualified and authorized medical practitioners.

The continued availability of unauthorized medical drugs in the country has left far reaching consequences in lives of many.

Recently, the country has witnessed several arrests of people being found in possession of such drugs, thus affirming the assertion.

In its media statement, signed by president for PHASOM Chance Munthali titled “illegal selling and wanton use of antimicrobials” the society took a stern step to criticize this typical growing cancer of drug abuse in the country.

According to PHASOM, the malpractice is disastrous as it contributes to antimicrobial resistance in the human body, increased mortality and higher medical costs among others.

It further says that the knock-on effect of antimicrobial resistance can lessen chances of treating common infections such as pneumonia, tuberculosis, sexually transmitted infections just to mention but a few.

To this effect PHASOM has appealed to the general public to refrain from taking medication without proper prescription from qualified practitioners, refrain from sharing and using leftover antibiotics, stop buying drugs from stores without valid licenses by the pharmacy, medicines and poisons board.

Antimicrobial resistance is on the rise in Malawi and bacterial infections are no longer responding to commonly prescribed medicines posing a threat to an already ailing health system this is according to recent publications by the Bureau of Investigative Journalism.