A report on the misuse of antibiotics and developing resistance in microbes: A Threat to Public Health in India.

Background and Objectives: The broad-spectrum antibiotics act against the causative pathogenic bacteria covering a broad range of activity in case of bacterial infections. These are frequently used as a “first-line” treatment of suspected bacterial infection. Antimicrobial resistance (AMR), a natural response of bacteria, is the result of misuse and overuse of antibiotics. Presently the misuse and overuse of broad-spectrum antibiotics in infections and disease treatment are responsible for major health concerns, leading to development of a bacterial response as antibiotic resistance against antibiotics and consequently a less effective response of antibiotics with a slower disease recovery rate in patients is noticed.

Methods: The antibiotics prescription data and assessment views of medical practitioners from Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh and adjacent region, India, during the study period from April, 2025 to July, 2025 were analyzed to find out the prescription pattern of antibiotics for patients and Antimicrobial Resistance, AMR. The responses of general public were also collected through Google forms and analyzed related to knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP).

Results: The analyzed data determined that 84% patients had no knowledge of prescribed antibiotics and only 16% knew about the antibiotics. The analyzed data related to antibiotic prescription in combination of two or more broad spectrum antibiotics, revealed that 41.2% patients were prescribed one, 23.5% with a combination of two, and 35.3% were prescribed a combination of more than two broad spectrum antibiotics at one time for infection control. Medical practitioners agreed about the misuse and overuse of antibiotics in India leading to evolvement of bacteria against the bactericidal effect of antibiotics leading to hard to treat the bacterial infections.

Interpretation and conclusion: Today, the issue related to attainment of resistance by bacteria against antibiotics is a major global health concern, especially in Indian context, where the level of knowledge and awareness about misuse of antibiotics is not sufficient. The present research study findings conclude that there is an urgent need of prescription regulatory policies related to use and misuse of broad-spectrum antibiotics. A campaign to raise the awareness in public for use and misuse of broad-spectrum antibiotics (BSA), must be carried out for the prevention of development of resistance against antibiotics in bacterial community. The judicial use of broad-spectrum antibiotics, based on diagnostic examination must be recommended for a safer use of BSA in public domain.