Abstract
Antibiotic resistance is a well-recognised international threat to our future health; around 25 000 deaths in the European Union and 63 000 deaths in the USA are caused annually by multidrug-resistant bacterial infections.
It is generally believed that the continued rise of antibiotic resistance is associated primarily with inappropriate and excessive prescribing of antibiotics, poor hygiene and the use of antibiotics in animal husbandry. Its rapid spread across the world is a result of increasing globalisation, and because of globalisation, its effects are widespread. This is not new news. As long ago as 1998, the UK House of Lords issued a landmark report highlighting the issue, yet somehow, despite significant media attention, the main messages of the report failed to penetrate general public and professional awareness, and behaviours of both have not changed sufficiently. There have been reports of slight improvements in prescribing rates and appropriate antibiotic selection, but it is also known that much more could be done. This is frustrating for those of us acutely aware of the urgent need for something to be done. Most recently in the UK, these facts were acknowledged in a recent report by the Chief Medical Officer (CMO), Department of Health for England, which made a number of recommendations aimed at addressing the problems of antimicrobial resistance: improving hygiene, preserving the effectiveness of existing antibiotics as well as stimulating the production of new antibiotics
It is generally believed that the continued rise of antibiotic resistance is associated primarily with inappropriate and excessive prescribing of antibiotics, poor hygiene and the use of antibiotics in animal husbandry. Its rapid spread across the world is a result of increasing globalisation, and because of globalisation, its effects are widespread. This is not new news. As long ago as 1998, the UK House of Lords issued a landmark report highlighting the issue, yet somehow, despite significant media attention, the main messages of the report failed to penetrate general public and professional awareness, and behaviours of both have not changed sufficiently. There have been reports of slight improvements in prescribing rates and appropriate antibiotic selection, but it is also known that much more could be done. This is frustrating for those of us acutely aware of the urgent need for something to be done. Most recently in the UK, these facts were acknowledged in a recent report by the Chief Medical Officer (CMO), Department of Health for England, which made a number of recommendations aimed at addressing the problems of antimicrobial resistance: improving hygiene, preserving the effectiveness of existing antibiotics as well as stimulating the production of new antibiotics
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 307-308 |
| Number of pages | 2 |
| Journal | International Journal of Pharmacy Practice |
| Volume | 23 |
| Issue number | 5 |
| Early online date | 21 Sept 2015 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Oct 2015 |