Indonesia's Love Affair With Antibiotics and Drug Treatments...

There is little doubt that Indonesian doctors on the whole over-prescribe antibiotics. It is unfair to generalise because quite simply there are always exceptions to the rule. However, even if a doctor does not prescribe a course of antibiotics, then most people will self-prescribe and go to any one of the myriad of road-side drug vending stalls.

The overuse of antibiotics, and other drugs, is not without risks as the nasty things that make us sick also have an ability to build up immunity to the drugs designed to kill them. This means that Indonesia is without a doubt on the road towards creating a whole swathe of drug-resistant bacteria and viruses. Simply, the trend seems to be towards over-prescribing and poly-pharmacy no matter what the illness is. Generally, doctors or patients prescribe antibiotic and drug cocktails in an attempt to get well.

Interestingly, some Indonesian doctors have recognised the trend and are intent on arresting the malaise that is poor diagnosis and subsequent poor treatment options being prescribed. But, it would appear that changing the culture is an uphill battle if the data collected by the Foundation for Concerned Parents is anything to go by.

For example, in 2008 the Foundation found that antibiotics were prescribed in more than 78% of cases of respiratory or stomach illness. This is an increase on the slightly more than 54% in 2006. Perhaps more interestingly is the trend of prescribing certain brands of drugs in preference to cheaper locally produced generic medicines. The suggestion, albeit implied, seems to be that doctors might be being encouraged to prescribe certain drug regimes at every opportunity they get to do so. One would hope that doctors were getting a little more for their efforts than just the odd free pen or mouse pad.

The issue is one that the government is aware of and it is one that the government is keen to address. The World Health Organization (WHO) has also recognised that the over-prescribing of certain drug treatments in Indonesia is leaving the Republic susceptible to future outbreaks of super bugs and viruses that are resistant to all standard treatment options. Therefore, the WHO and the government have commenced a study to look at what can be done to turn back the tide.

Hmmm.

MUI, Huh?

It is a good thing that this is a blog, and it is my blog, because I can hold pretty much any opinion that I want and then blog it in any way, shape or form that takes my fancy.

I have said this before, I will say it again, but I say it now...the MUI is a waste of space. The MUI or the Indonesian Council of Ulemas is a group of crotchety old men with nothing better to do than sit around handing out fatwas left, right, and center however it sees fit. Yes, I appreciate there are some out there that will argue that they are merely responding to requests that concerned Indonesian citizens pose on issues of "what is" and "what is not" permitted in Islam.

However, I would argue that when they are discussing medical and scientific matters that extend beyond the grasp of most mortals that they take the time to consult with experts in the field.

The MUI in its infinite wisdom has decided that a meningococcal vaccine produced by GlaxoSmithKline is haram or forbidden because it uses an enzyme in the production process that is derived from the humble pig. I appreciate that pigs are najis or ritually impure in Islam, but this is the only way that the vaccine can be produced.

There are claims that the vaccine can be produced without the pig enzyme. However, these claims have not been subject to medical review and the companies making them have not put forward the scientific evidence for scrutiny.

The vaccine production process involves the use of the pig enzyme. Nevertheless, the end product is cleaned in such a way that no traces of the enzyme remains. To all intents and purposes it is clean.

What is interesting is that the former Health Minister, Siti Fadillah Supari, says the MUI has issued a fatwa which is confusing. This is in fact code for, "the MUI does not know what it is talking about". It must be remembered that Supari, during her term as Health Minister, never missed an opportunity to stick it to western nations and their health practices. So, it seems unlikely she would side with GSK over the MUI unless the MUI were so wrong that the fatwa was not worth the paper it was written on.

What is truly funny, though, is that the GSK vaccine is used in both Malaysia and Saudi Arabia.

Why is this a big deal? Well, Saudi Arabia requires all prospective Haj pilgrims to be vaccinated against meningococcal bacteria and the possibility of contracting meningitis. The conspiracy theorists might hint that there is a need to follow the money trail on this one. The Indonesian Government had already forked out some IDR 20 billion for the GSK vaccine and will now have to fork out another IDR 50+ billion to secure enough supply of the MUI approved Novartis vaccine. Just as well I am not a conspiracy buff, eh?

Ho hum...

Some More Did You Know...

Always looking to entertain...enjoy!

1. Mickey Mouse has four fingers on each hand;

2. The average person spends two weeks of their life waiting for traffic lights to change;

3. 120 drops of water fill a teaspoon;

4. The Inca Indians of Panama tie a string of chillies behind their boat to repel sharks;

5. Emus and kangaroos cannot walk backwards;

6. On average, women dream more than men;

7. The size of your foot is approximately the size of your forearm;

8. The word "lethologica" describes the state of not being able to remember the word that you want;

9. Boanthropy is a disease in which a person thinks they are an ox;

10. Leonardo da Vinci invented scissors;

11. Wearing headphones for just an hour will increase the bacteria in your ear by 700 times; and,

12. 35% of people who use personal ads for dating are already married.