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@article{207112,
        author = {DR.Sangham Sravana Kumari and Gaddam Kranthi Kumar and Kummara Shilpa and Shaik Nusurath and Thota deepika Roy and Mude Devendra Naik},
        title = {Optimizing Antibiotic Use in India: Addressing Challenges and Exploring Opportunities},
        journal = {International Journal of Innovative Research in Technology},
        year = {2026},
        volume = {13},
        number = {2},
        pages = {4442-4450},
        issn = {2349-6002},
        url = {https://ijirt.org/article?manuscript=207112},
        abstract = {Public health is at risk because of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in India, as it is driven by high levels of antibiotic use, inappropriate prescriptions, and weak enforcement of regulations. This narrative review brings together the latest information from standard AMR guidelines (WHO GAP-AMR, NAP-AMR 2.0, ICMR) and from open-access original research from 2015 to 2026, to assess how AMR has developed in India — the use of antibiotics, the burden of AMR, the main challenges experienced, the existing stewardship practices, and the potential opportunities for improvement at all levels of India's healthcare system.
The findings are that there is an excessive amount of Watch-category antibiotics being prescribed, that antibiotics are sold without a prescription, and that there are high resistance rates to these same antibiotics, in particular amongst Gram-negative bacteria such as Klebsiella pneumoniae, Escherichia coli, and Acinetobacter baumannii. The findings also show that AMSP programs have produced encouraging outcomes in some of India's large hospitals but are not consistently implemented across all levels of healthcare. Clinical pharmacists are important contributors to the activities of reviewing medications, conducting audits and providing feedback, and working in multiprofessional teams. Additional opportunities include the use of digital surveillance tools, rapid diagnostics, and strengthening the implementation of NAP-AMR 2.0 in a One Health framework.
In summary, in order to improve antibiotic utilization and reduce AMR in India, continued implementation of regulations, inclusion of AMSP in primary healthcare, and collaboration between all stakeholders is necessary.},
        keywords = {Antimicrobial resistance, Antibiotic prescribing, Antibiotic stewardship, Clinical pharmacists, India, NAP-AMR, One Health, Rapid diagnostics.},
        month = {July},
        }