Kerala Launches ‘Operation Amrith’

January 13, 2024

The Kerala Drug Control Department recently launched Operation Amrith (Antimicrobial Resistance Intervention For Total Health) to prevent the overuse of antibiotics in the state. The aim is to conduct surprise raids in pharmacies to detect over-the-counter (OTC) sales of antibiotics without a doctor’s prescription.

What is AMR

AMR refers to the ability of bacteria and microbes to resist the drugs used to inhibit or kill them. Considered a “silent pandemic”, AMR was associated with around 5 million deaths globally in 2019, with 1.3 million deaths directly attributed to it.

Role of Drug Controller

The Drugs Controller of Kerala said the Drugs Control Department has a significant role in optimizing antibiotic use by preventing OTC antibiotic sales. As part of this, pharmacies must maintain records of antibiotic sales. They must also display posters stating “antibiotics not sold without doctor’s prescription”. Strict action will be taken against those not complying.

Public Participation

The public can participate by reporting pharmacies selling antibiotics without prescription to the Drug Control Department. A toll-free number has been provided for lodging complaints. Once a complaint is received, it will be transferred to the zonal office for verification and immediate action.

Aligns with State Action Plan

Operation Amrith activities are being carried out under Kerala’s Antimicrobial Resistance Strategic Action Plan’s (KARSAP) antibiotic literacy initiative. Kerala was the first Indian state with a state action plan on AMR aligned with India’s national action plan. After releasing the state action plan on AMR, Kerala initiated the Antibiotic Literate Kerala Campaign to raise AMR awareness.

Phase Out OTC Antibiotic Sales

The health department has committed to completely phase out OTC antibiotic sales without prescription and take action against violating pharmacists.

Drug Take-Back Programme

For proper disposal of unused antibiotics, Kerala has the Programme on Removal of Unused Drugs (PROUD). This drug take-back programme was piloted in Thiruvananthapuram district in 2019.

Global Health and Economic Impact

The World Bank estimated in 2017 that annual global healthcare costs could reach $1.2 trillion by 2050 under a high AMR impact scenario. The world could also lose 3.8% of GDP annually and see up to 10 million deaths annually, mostly in Asia and Africa.

Kerala’s Efforts on AMR Surveillance

Regarding AMR surveillance, Kerala launched the Kerala Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance Network (KARS-NET) for human surveillance in 2018-19. An integrated plan was also developed for non-human AMR surveillance.

In August 2023, the Kerala State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) inaugurated an AMR lab for environmental surveillance of AMR.

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