Watsons & Unilab: Be safe and compliant the right way

MANILA, Philippines - Watsons Pharmacy and leading pharmaceutical manufacturer United Laboratories, Inc. (Unilab) recently launched a pioneering campaign that teaches consumers about proper antibiotics use through special compliance packs. The proper use of antibiotics helps fight the serious threat of superbugs, a potentially deadly antibiotic-resistant bacteria.  

When Unilab and Watsons Pharmacy introduced the Watsons antibiotic compliance pack on June 23, 2011, a lecture on superbugs was presented by Dr. Rontgene M. Solante, president of the Philippines Society of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases. According to Dr. Solante, the number one cause of superbugs emergence is the improper use of antibiotics.  

“If we keep using antibiotics improperly, the day may come when our antibiotics will no longer work against bacterial infections. We will have an infectious disease apocalypse that will endanger the human race,” says Dr. Solante.

According to Dr. Solante, the four practices of antibiotic misuse, which is unfortunately common in the Philippines, promote the emergence of superbugs. These include:  

• Self-medication. When a patient buys antibiotics without consulting a doctor; using an old prescription; or following the advice of relatives and friends, it’s likely that the antibiotics purchased will be the wrong ones, and will also be used at an improper dosage. 

• Skipping a dose of antibiotic. Patients who miss a dose or several doses of antibiotic are allowing bacteria to recover from the antibiotic’s effects. There’s also a risk of infection resurgence. 

• Stopping the antibiotic dose too early. There are patients who stop taking antibiotics once they feel better. Others are unable to buy all the antibiotics prescribed because they don’t have enough money.  

• Using antibiotics like over-the-counter drugs. Antibiotics are powerful medications that must be used only under a doctor’s supervision. Sadly, there are patients who think antibiotics are used to relieve symptoms like fever, body pain, coughs, and colds.  

Such symptoms are usually caused by a viral infection. Antibiotics should not be used to treat viral infections. Instead, viral infections are best cured by taking enough rest, drinking lots of fluids, taking vitamins and supplements, using lozenges and other remedies. These remedies, plus maintaining the body’s healthy immune system, are usually enough to fight off a viral infection.

Some patients, however, do not know the difference between a viral and a bacterial infection. They take antibiotics without a doctor’s prescription, just like over-the-counter medicines. Some drugstores allow patients to do this.  

Dr. Solante cites a medical study that says that 66 percent of antibiotics sold in Manila were sold without a prescription. “These practices lead to the emergence of superbugs. In the Philippines, two types of bacteria are already antibiotic-resistant, one that causes gonorrhea and another that causes tuberculosis,” he notes.

Compliance packs from Watsons Pharmacy and Unilab help ensure the proper use of antibiotics because: 1) they are pre-packaged following the most common doses prescribed by doctors; 2) they are priced lower than multinational brands; and 3) their packaging is safe and designed to encourage the right use of antibiotics.  

“Antibiotics in pill form are stored individually in blister packs for a reason. The patient has to take them one by one, according to schedule. Other sellers package their antibiotics with a re-sealable pouch design where the pills are bunched together inside. This type of packaging for medicine is flawed, in our opinion. It’s okay to package candy in this way but not for antibiotics,” says Belinda E. Pesayco, senior regulatory affairs manager of Watsons Personal Care Stores (Phils.), Inc.

Not only are Watsons compliance packs packaged more properly, they also contain the standard quantity of antibiotics recommended by doctors. Doctors usually prescribe antibiotics to patients for a treatment course of seven to 10 days.  

“Watsons compliance packs are based on the standard clinical practice of physicians, ensuring that patients have enough antibiotics supply. Our seven-day packs make it very convenient for patients to follow their doctor’s instructions, recover faster, and prevent superbugs,” says Lyle Joseph Morrell, Health Business Unit head of Watsons.  

Antibiotics compliance packs are being sold exclusively in all outlets of Watsons Pharmacy. These pre-packaged antibiotics are priced 40 to 60-percent lower than that of multinational brands. The antibiotics are manufactured by Unilab so the quality, safety, and effectiveness of the medicines are guaranteed.

“Making safe and effective medicines more affordable to more Filipinos has always been the advocacy of Unilab,” says Jose Maria A. Ochave, Unilab’s senior vice president for Social Partnerships.

“A full dosage of Amoxicillin 500mg costs P273 if one buys from a multinational brand. On the other hand, a full dose of Amoxicillin 500mg in a compliance pack costs only P110. That’s already a savings of 60 percent,” says Morrell. ? 

Watsons compliance packs are available in its 170 stores nationwide.