Health
Using leftover antibiotics may prolong illness — Pharmacists
By Iyanuoluwa Abiola
Pharmacists have cautioned against reusing leftover antibiotics months after previous treatment, warning that taking the drugs for similar symptoms could prolong illness, result in treatment failure and increase the risk of antibiotic resistance.
They explained that the return of symptoms after previous treatment did not necessarily mean the same infection had returned, noting that using an old antibiotic without proper assessment could result in the wrong medicine being taken for the current illness.
The pharmacists stressed that antibiotics are prescribed for specific bacterial infections, with the choice of drug, dosage, and duration depending on the condition and the organism responsible.
The World Health Organisation defines antimicrobial resistance as the ability of microorganisms to resist medicines used to treat infections, making infections harder or, in some cases, impossible to treat. It identifies the misuse and overuse of antimicrobial medicines, including taking the wrong antibiotic, as major drivers of resistance.
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention has similarly warned against self-medication with antibiotics and the use of leftover antibiotics, urging people to seek professional consultation and laboratory testing where necessary.
Nigeria’s 2024 National Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance reported that antimicrobial overuse was common in the country, with research showing widespread self-medication with antibiotics. It noted that six antibiotics accounted for more than 55 per cent of antibiotic use in Nigeria, while antibiotics in the WHO Watch category accounted for 46 per cent.
The NCDC has also cited a systematic review that found a median prevalence of 46.8 per cent among people using antibiotics without a prescription in Nigeria, identifying unregulated antibiotic sales, unlicensed medicine outlets and poor awareness as some of the drivers of antimicrobial resistance.
In an exclusive interview with PUNCH Healthwise, Pharm. Chioma Omattah, Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Welnex Pharmacy, Lagos State, said keeping leftover antibiotics for future illnesses was unsafe because similar symptoms could have different causes.
“It’s actually unsafe for people to keep leftover medication and use it because they might not be so sure that the new symptoms they are trying to manage is the same as the one they had the last time,” Omattah explained.
She noted that symptoms such as cough, fever, runny nose and weakness could occur with different conditions and did not necessarily indicate the same infection.
Omattah explained that taking an old antibiotic when the new illness had a different cause could amount to inappropriate treatment.
“If it’s caused by either a different microorganism, or not even caused by a microorganism at all, that medication, first of all, is a waste,” she stated.
The pharmacist warned that unnecessary antibiotic use could affect beneficial microorganisms in the body and contribute to resistance.
“It will go in and then begin to clear out the beneficial microorganisms in the system. So that becomes a problem,” Omattah added.
She said taking an antibiotic without proper assessment could also prolong illness because the medicine needed to treat the actual condition might not be started.
“The first one is the risk of prolonging the illness. Because what you’re supposed to use, because you didn’t get properly assessed, you didn’t start it,” she explained.
Omattah disclosed that pharmacists had encountered cases where laboratory tests showed resistance to several antibiotics.
“We’ve seen cases where the person had resistance to every single antibiotic that was used for the culture. So it’s quite important to know that there are a lot of health risks that could arise from this resistance,” she stressed.
Speaking exclusively with PUNCH Healthwise, Pharm. Jonah Okotie, Superintendent Pharmacist at Engraced Pharmacy, Idimu, Lagos State, described reusing leftover antibiotics as “very unwise,” stressing that infections should be confirmed through clinical evaluation and, where necessary, appropriate tests.
“It is not only unsafe, it is very unwise to do so,” Okotie stated.
He explained that similar symptoms could be caused by different organisms, making proper assessment important before an antibiotic was selected.
“First, where infections for which antibiotics are used are concerned, it is statutory that you confirm the presence of the infection based on tests and clinical evaluation even though symptoms amongst infecting organisms can be similar,” he explained.
Okotie warned that using an antibiotic for a different infection or for an illness that does not require antibiotics could lead to treatment failure, worsening illness and resistance.
“If the illness is caused by a different organism or an infection that antibiotics will work for, you are not only putting yourself at risk of treatment failure, worsening condition, even death. You are also increasing the chances of antibiotic resistance, which is a global health issue,” he cautioned.
He explained that whether an antibiotic would work depended on the susceptibility of the organism and the location of the infection.
“Susceptibility of the infecting organism to the antibiotic, location of the infection, for example, an infection in the brain may require a different antibiotic from the same infection on the skin, amongst other things,” Okotie noted.
The pharmacist explained that antibiotic resistance could make future infections harder and more expensive to treat, as higher doses, longer treatment or alternative medicines might be required.
“What happens when bacteria develop resistance is that it becomes stronger and tougher than it ordinarily is, such that, even if the antibiotic can kill it, it will take higher doses and possibly longer periods, which implies higher costs, or outrightly, the antibiotic is no longer effective on it,” he explained.
Okotie advised people with persistent or worsening symptoms to seek medical attention rather than restarting leftover antibiotics, stressing that antibiotic treatment should follow proper assessment.
“Antibiotics treatment becomes necessary when you are sure it’s a disease after due consultation of a healthcare provider and you have established the culprit organism, when symptoms become protracted or worse,” he advised.
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