Opposition to Prescribing Zithromax (Azithromycin) on the Rise

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A prominent emergency medicine expert warned that “if we don’t stop, we’re not going to have good antibiotics in the future.”

Dr. Joseph Lex, from Temple University in Philadelphia, made the pronouncement after referring to his suggestion that azithromycin should not be used at all.

There is now an increasing call in treatment guidelines that certain antibiotics, specifically the macrolide azithromycin, no longer be used to treat many common infections. Inappropriate use is leading to widespread antibiotic resistance, resulting to the emergence of super bugs, bacteria that’s outsmarting medicine.

“Every time we use an antibiotic, we pressure those bacteria to become resistant, and it’s survival of the fittest,” said Dr. Fred Lopez, an infectious disease expert at LSU Medical School in New Orleans. He says antibiotic resistance is a real problem tearing through every hospital in America.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2 million people a year are affected by resistant infections, resulting in 20,000 deaths. Resistance is largely blamed on mistreatment.

“Every country that has recommended the use of narrow-spectrum antibiotics instead has seen a fall in their resistance rates. We just have to get to the point where we do the same thing,” Dr. Lex said.

Azithromycin was developed in 1980 and has been marketed in the United States since 1991. As of 2011, it was the most commonly prescribed antibiotic. Azithromycin is used to treat acute bacterial exacerbation of chronic pulmonary disease, acute bacterial sinusitis, community-acquired pneumonia, pharyngitis, tonsillitis, uncomplicated skin and skin structure infection, urethritis and cervicitis, and genital ulcer disease.

The Canadian Pediatric Society recommended that azithromycin not be used to treat pharyngitis, otitis media, or community-acquired pneumonia.

“Part of the reason for the overuse of azithromycin is pressure from the patients,” Las Vegas emergency medicine physician Dr. Michael Epter said. “Patients come in with the symptomatology of a respiratory tract infection – which is commonly due to virus – yet they will insist on receiving an antibiotic.”

The go-to medicine in this situation is azithromycin because of high patient compliance. It has become difficult to convince patients to just settle for over-the-counter medicines. Dr. Epter said  patients are not happy until they get a prescription.

Overview of Zithromax Over-prescription

Zithromax, brand name azithromycin, has been the center of the over-prescription analysis for more than a year, with many physicians stating it is often prescribed unnecessarily or should not be prescribed at all. For example, Zithromax is sometimes prescribed to treat viral infections, which cannot effectively be treated with antibiotics. Zithromax, also called Z-Pak, is the most popular antibiotic in America and is manufactured by Pfizer Inc. It brings in more than $1 billion in profits for the company each year.

The main contribution to the drug’s success, many experts believe, is the drug’s short prescription requirement. Compared to other medications, Zithromax only requires five days of the medication while most other antibiotics require 10. Zithromax is used to treat a variety of bacterial infections, including upper respiratory tract infections, bronchitis and community-acquired pneumonia.

Among the adverse affects reported are liver injury and failure, cardiac complications and Stevens Johnson Syndrome. The warning for liver failure was announced by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) in January 2011, and was officially added to the drug’s warning label.

Despite the problems, it clearly will be quite a while before any drug is developed that could pose a threat to Zithromax’s popularity. As long as Zithromax remains one of the only choices on the market, patients are going to opt for the medication rather than contend with their treatable conditions. Therefore, the problem of overprescription of Zithromax is likely to continue.

Join a Free Zithromax Class Action Lawsuit Investigation

If you believe that you or a loved one has been the victim of a Zithromax/Z-Pak injury such as a heart attack, liver damage, or Stevens Johnson Syndrome, you have legal options. See if you qualify to join a free Zithromax class action lawsuit investigation and pursue compensation for you or your loved one’s injuries:

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