Recent findings from the University of South Australia suggest that popular pain relievers like ibuprofen and acetaminophen may be contributing to one of global health's most serious threats: antibiotic resistance.
The study, the first of its kind published in npj Antimicrobials and Resistance, reveals these over-the-counter medications exacerbate bacterial resistance when used alone or together. Researchers analyzed how non-antibiotic drugs interact with the antibiotic ciprofloxacin against E. coli bacteria, finding that ibuprofen and acetaminophen spur bacterial mutations, making it tougher to treat.
These findings have significant healthcare implications, especially for elderly care homes where multiple medications are commonly administered.
The World Health Organization notes antimicrobial resistance as a global public health threat that claimed 1.27 million lives in 2019.
"Antibiotics help fight infections, but their misuse has fueled resistant bacteria," says lead researcher Associate Professor Rietie Venter from UniSA. "In aged care facilities, older individuals frequently take several medications, making these settings ideal for antibiotic resistance to develop."
The study focused on nine commonly prescribed drugs in elderly care—ibuprofen and acetaminophen among them—and discovered that bacteria exposed to these pain relievers alongside ciprofloxacin developed higher mutation rates, enhancing their survival against antibiotics.
"The research indicates that antibiotic resistance is more complicated than expected," says Assoc Prof Venter. While we shouldn't abandon these medications, we must be aware of their interactions with antibiotics.
Further studies are recommended to explore drug interactions in prolonged treatments to understand how common drugs affect antibiotic efficacy.