"THE AMPICLOX CRAZE" - BEEEEEECHAM? I MEAN, BEEEEEECHAAAM!!!

Community Pharmacists and others who handle and sell drugs in our country can attest to the reality that AMPICLOX is greatly misused in our society. AMPICLOX is the short form for the antibacterial combination, Ampicillin & Cloxacillin.

It is not rare to find someone rush into the shop and request for Ampiclox for whatever reasons.

Ampiclox is misused for so many reasons and in so many ways such as:

1. The belief that the drug can stop any bacteria that may have been contracted during unsafe sexual intercourse. ADVICE: Ampiclox, irrespective of the company cannot possibly kill every kind of bacteria and to add to its limitations, it cannot be used to stop any viral infection contacted during unsafe sex.
2. Ampiclox should be taken once in a while to flush out infections that may be lying in the body. ADVICE: Ampiclox must only be used with the prescription of a medical doctor and often, following a laboratory test which must have proven that the infectious agent is sensitive to Ampiclox.
3. Ampiclox is very active and it is taken once or twice daily. ADVICE: Ampiclox for adults is usually prescribed 500mg every 6hours except when prescribed otherwise. It must not be used by persons who are allergic to Ampicillin, Cloxacillin or the penicillins. This thus highlights the importance of counselling offered by a pharmacist while dispensing the drug.
4. Ampiclox is very strong and turns (hurts) the eyes and stomach when you take it. ADVICE: If it is taken after meal, some of its side effects may be reduced. It must be taken according to the dose that is specified for the patient and his/her disease conditions. It is not compulsory that two friends or spouses must take the same doses all the time. Certain factors guide the choice of doses of medicines and this may vary between even intimate partners or spouses. Finally, if you notice any adverse effects while taking AMPICLOX, consult your doctor or pharmacist.
5. Ampiclox can be taken whenever any strong infection comes up and it clears infection within two days. ADVICE: Ampiclox must only be used when necessary as described in (2) above. And it must be used be used for the duration prescribed (often 5 days or more for outpatients) in order to get the full benefits in the long and short run and avoid the risk of resistance. Drug resistance is the inability of a drug to kill a microorganism which it could previously kill and as such it becomes ineffective for use in treatment. When this happens, the patient is left to use more expensive drugs which often have more severe side effects.

FOOTNOTE: Antibacterials and antibiotics are prescription drugs. AMPICLOX falls into this category and should be used according to the prescription of a Medical Doctor who must have examined the patient and appropriate diagnostic tests conducted. For enquiries about drugs, you can walk up to your pharmacists for advice. Drug misuse is an enemy to health and our economic life too. An end to antibiotic misuse means hope to the drug use by future generation.

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