Sale of cough syrups, antibiotics jumps up to 25% amid flu outbreak: Report

In February, the sale of antibiotics, cough syrups and anti-infectives went up by 20-25 per cent, according to AIOCD

Amid an ongoing bout of influenza across the country, there has been a sharp rise in the purchase of sale of antibiotics and cough syrups.

In February, the sale of antibiotics, cough syrups and anti-infectives went up by 20-25 per cent, according to All India Organisation of Chemists and Druggists (AIOCD).

"Severe cough, cold, influenza infections led to the sale of medicines going up by 20-25 per cent in February. We have seen a significant rise in the sales of fever medicines like paracetamol, azithromycin and cough syrups," Rajiv Singhal, general secretary, AIOCD, told The Economic Times.

PharmaTrac data shows the purchase of anti-infective rose 12.5 per cent to Rs 22,883 crore in February, while the sale of respiratory drugs grew 8.1 per cent to Rs 14,880 crore last month based on Moving Annual Turnover (MAT), with both spikes coinciding with the increase in influenza cases across India.

In Bengaluru, DH had earlier reported that an increase in upper respiratory tract infections, courtesy of influenza, had been observed in hospitals across the city.

Similarly in Delhi, news agency IANS had reported a worse-than-usual spike in flu cases, with some even requiring hopsitalisation and ICU admission.

"Viral fever, cold and cough, and severe lung allergies like bronchitis are being reported majorly in patients visiting the hospital," Sushila Kataria, Senior Director, Internal Medicine, Medanta, was earlier quoted as saying by IANS.

In Bengal too, there has been a spike in flu cases and associated cases of upper respiratory tract infections, and the state has, of late, reported the deaths of several children due to respiratory infections.

While an increase in flu cases is to be expected around this time of the year, doctors have suggested getting flu vaccinations as a precaution, especially for vulnerable groups such as the elderly and children.

(With inputs from agencies)