China's health authorities have launched a program to train up to 45,000 doctors nationwide in an effort to curb the abuse of antibiotics at public hospitals.

The two-year program was jointly launched Friday by the Health Ministry, the China Licensed Pharmacists' Association and Pfizer Pharmaceuticals.

Experts from a committee on the rational use of drugs under the ministry would train health workers in medical facilities at or below county level across the country.

"The program will aim to step up the management of anti-bacteria medicine classification, slow the increase in drug-resistance, and ultimately realize the safe, effective and economic use of antibiotics," said ministry spokesman Zhao Minggang.

The irrational use of antibiotics was a major problem in China, in rural hospitals in particular, said Zhao. "Abuse of antibiotics leads to extra medical spending of 80 billion yuan (11.7 billion U.S. dollars) across the country and about 30 percent patients take them as a panacea."

Bacteria were becoming increasingly more drug-resistant, he said. The 2007 World Health Report had said it was a serious problem that jeopardized human safety.

Zhang Shufang, an expert from the committee, warned of the exhaustion of antibiotics if no effective measures were taken.

She said the rational use of antibiotics would help increase drug use safety, lower medical costs for patients and allow drug makers more time to research their products.

(Xinhua News Agency January 10, 2009)