For antibiotics, the right dose is restraint

A stricter and more coordinated compliance mechanism across the pharmaceutical supply chain is essential to curb indiscriminate over-the-counter sales and irrational fixed-dose combinations. 2 min readJul 27, 2026 06:00 AM IST First published on: Jul 27, 2026 at 06:00 AM IST India’s dependence on antibiotics as a convenient cure-all for routine illnesses has reached an inflection point. A global study published in The Lancet Public Health has highlighted a worrying imbalance in the country’s antibiotic use: An over-reliance on stronger medicines even as safer first-line medicines remain underused. The World Health Organisation classifies antibiotics into three categories — “access” drugs, which are recommended as first-line treatments for common infections; “watch” drugs, which are broader