Tackling Antibiotic Resistance

The White House has released a plan to tackle antibiotic-resistant bacteria. This is the first and the boldest move of its kind by any administration, according to some analysts, and was created in response to the so-called superbugs that could devastate our current medical system. Drug resistance is a natural evolutionary process. Bacteria must adapt in order to flourish in spite of drugs designed to kill them, but the overuse of antibiotics is speeding the process. As more drug-resistant bacteria appear, we face new challenges that could undermine many medical advances and render our drugs useless in the near future.

Some health experts have put the looming crisis on the same threat level as that of terrorism, which is why the president has asked that the 2016 budget be doubled to help prevent and combat antibiotic resistance. The most common superbug infections include Clostridium difficile, MRSA and hospital-acquired Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae. Conventional medications do not work against these strains, which can cause severe illness and death in many cases.

According to the new plan, a dozen federal agencies will work together to draft ways to limit our use of antibiotics, support clinical trials to develop new solutions, better track and understand the resistant strains and slow the emergence of new superbugs. They will also be tasked with developing rapid diagnostics that enable medical professionals with differentiating viruses from bacteria for more effective, targeted treatments.

The goal is to reduce overuse in outpatients by 50 percent and in inpatients by 20 percent, which will be accomplished by tracking use in hospitals, cracking down on unnecessary medication use and offering incentives and awards for those meeting the goals. Although 80 percent of the problem drugs are currently used in livestock raised for food, the planned measures will not address animals.

The FDA has already issued guidelines that we can follow to help overcome this problem. If you have been prescribed an antibiotic, take it as recommended, do not skip doses and complete the entire course as recommended. Do not save them and reuse them or offer them to anyone else. Together we can take steps to protect the health of our children and future society.