India’s top health research body, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), has advised that newly introduced antibiotics be restricted to select hospital pharmacies . The move comes in response to growing evidence of misuse and rising antimicrobial resistance (AMR), including resistance to last-resort treatments. The recommendations have been submitted to the Union Health Ministry and the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI). ICMR researchers argue that high-generation antibiotics should be reserved exclusively for severely ill patients in hospitals that follow antimicrobial stewardship, infection control, and AMR surveillance protocols.
They suggest changes could be implemented through amendments to the Drugs and Cosmetics Act & Rules. The urgency is clear. The Global Research on Antimicrobial Resistance (GRAM) Project estimated that India saw between 300,000 and over 1…
