Antibiotic Promotions by Pharmacies are Wrong
Prescription for Flu Season
Infectious Diseases Society of America says it is
unhealthy promotional gimmick - a better option to help people are free
flu shots
Jan.
16, 2009 - With an epidemic of antibiotic-resistant infections
growing, experts are warning grocery-store pharmacies that antibiotics
giveaways are an unhealthy promotional gimmick. If grocery stores want
to help customers and save them money during cold and flu season, the
Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) says, they should offer
free influenza vaccinations instead.
Giant, Stop & Shop, and other grocery stores have
recently begun offering free antibiotics at their pharmacies. Most
concerning are promotions such as Wegmans’ that link antibiotics to the
winter cold-and-flu season—despite the fact that antibiotics will have
no effect on these viral illnesses and carry risks of serious side
effects.
“While it may make good marketing sense, promoting
antibiotics at a time when we are facing a crisis of antibiotic
resistance does not make good public health sense,” said IDSA President
Anne Gershon, MD. “On the other hand, grocery stores would be doing a
tremendous service if they help more people get their flu shots.”
A new study in the February 1 issue of Clinical
Infectious Diseases shows that workers age 50-64 who received influenza
vaccine lost substantially fewer days of work and worked fewer days
while ill. But influenza vaccine is underutilized. Millions of doses
were thrown away at the end of the last two flu seasons.
“The opposite is true for antibiotics,” said Lauri
Hicks, DO, medical director for the “Get Smart: Know When Antibiotics
Work” program at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
“Each year tens of millions of antibiotics are prescribed for viral
conditions, like the common cold, for which antibiotics are totally
ineffective. Overuse of antibiotics is jeopardizing the effectiveness of
these essential drugs.”
For example, in some parts of the country
methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is the leading cause
of emergency room visits for skin and soft tissue infections. To make
matters worse, there are very few new antibiotics under development to
fight resistant bacteria.
In addition, the risks associated with antibiotics
are under-appreciated. Allergic reactions and other adverse events cause
an estimated 142,000 emergency room visits annually, according to a
recent study by CDC.
“Most doctors know better than to prescribe
antibiotics when they are not needed,” Dr. Gershon added. “But many find
it hard to say ‘no’ to sick patients who think antibiotics will make
them feel better. We are concerned that these pharmacy marketing efforts
will encourage patients to ask for antibiotics prescriptions.”
IDSA urges grocery store pharmacies to partner with
the CDC’s “Get Smart” program. CDC and its partners educate the public
and health care providers about when antibiotics will and won’t work and
the dangers of antibiotic resistance. For more information, see the
Get Smart website.
“Lowering customers’ health care costs is an
admirable goal,” Dr. Gershon said. “But singling out antibiotics for
promotion when we are facing a crisis of antibiotic resistance is the
wrong way to do it. On the other hand, free influenza vaccinations could
make a real contribution to public health.”
Background
The Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA)
is an organization of physicians, scientists, and other health care
professionals dedicated to promoting health through excellence in
infectious diseases research, education, prevention, and patient care.
The Society, which has more than 8,600 members, was founded in 1963 and
is based in Arlington, VA. For more information, visit
www.idsociety.org.
