Dalaun Finch
Policy Manuscript
Woodyard
Coms 305
A policy proposal for the FDA and CDC to reduce the use and consumption of antibiotics
Intro
Antibiotic resistant bacteria are one of the biggest threats to human health around the world today. Antibiotic resistance is the natural phenomenon the occurs when a bacterium becomes immune to an antibiotic that would usually kill it, all the while maintaining its ability to reproduce. This is a problem that continues to get worse as we idly stand by. There have now been bacterial isolates found in patients that are resistant to most of the antibiotics that we would normally cure them. This is a problem in the developing world but also in countries such as the US and UK. Although people are
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In layman terms, our approach to killing bacteria is proving to be a terribly planned strategy. Some of this convincing data has already been used as evidence by law-makers to change laws. The Food & Drug Administration banned the use of antibiotics in animals in America, to prevent the selection of resistance from recurring. The European Union has changed the European wide law about how biocides are registered, and now it’s a requirement for any new biocide to be registered, as well as be proven safe to use in fight against antibiotic resistant bacteria. With the implementation of these new laws we move in the right direction. Based on the data of 114 countries, the consequences of antibiotic resistant bacteria aren’t just a prediction, but a In response to the severity of this problem, which is constantly being accentuated due to the overuse of antibiotics, I propose that the CDC as well as the FDA can recommend in an attempt to effectively control the issue at hand.
Harms/Qualitative
Antibiotics is one of the most important factors of all of modern medicine and without antibiotics, bacterial diseases would be life threatening and non-bacterial diseases would be affected, because treatment for many diseases result in the decreasing of a patient’s immune system. Without antibiotics these
In the last decade, the number of prescriptions for antibiotics has increases. Even though, antibiotics are helpful, an excess amount of antibiotics can be dangerous. Quite often antibiotics are wrongly prescribed to cure viruses when they are meant to target bacteria. Antibiotics are a type of medicine that is prone to kill microorganisms, or bacteria. By examining the PBS documentary Hunting the Nightmare Bacteria and the article “U.S. government taps GlaxoSmithKline for New Antibiotics” by Ben Hirschler as well as a few other articles can help depict the problem that is of doctors prescribing antibiotics wrongly or excessively, which can led to becoming harmful to the body.
The development of antibiotics was an important advancement in 20th century medicine. Previously deadly infectious diseases are now routinely treated with antibiotics. Moreover, for modern-day medical procedures such as chemotherapy treatment to be successful, antibiotic use is necessary. For these reasons, the prospect of bacteria developing widespread resistance to antibiotics is a major concern as it would render many modern-day medical therapies unviable.
A couple times a year local and national mass media put the spotlight on problems connected to antibiotic overuse. Some people consider those problems to be real and serious, and others think that the discussed topics are nothing more than new “fashionable” subjects to talk about, distracting people from “real” problems, such as climbing gas prices or war expenses. Meanwhile, antibiotic overuse continues as a common practice among US doctors and agribusinesses for the last 20 years. The practice of antibiotic overuse has put patient’s health at risk, contributed to antibiotic resistance and increased bacterial mutation to a new, stronger level; as well as it hitting the economy with new costly expenses in health care. It is time to stop
Throughout my life, adults have insisted the use of antibiotics to fight against the most inconsequential illnesses, whether it’s the cold or the flu. However, neither illness is due to invasion of bacteria. This misuse can lead to antibiotic resistance, also known as antimicrobial resistance(AMR), currently one of the central issues facing the public health system. While the process for antibiotic resistance occurs naturally through the process of adaptation, the mismanagement of antibiotic resources has accelerated the rate at which the bacteria adapt. The occurrence of this misinformation isn’t limited to a few adults: even some of my peers suggest taking antibiotics when faced with the flu. This leads to asking whether AMR is truly a problem and are present regulations enough to combat the issue.
First of all, over dosages of antibiotics cause major issues. In Source A it states “Spread or emergence of multidrug resistance, including resistance to ACT’s in other regions could jeopardize important recent gains in control of the disease.”. Viruses are now resistant towards drugs and antibiotics, which means these viruses will only become stronger, and harder to eliminate. This statement also proves that this issue is not only happening in America, this is an issue worldwide. Furthermore, in Source B it states “ It’s a significant problem around the globe- the development of so-called ‘superbugs’,
Research has revealed how overprescribing antibiotic creates several adverse outcomes, including the development of multidrug resistant organisms, Clostridium difficile infection, and increased costs of health care (Myung et al., 2015). The Consumer Report (2015) raised concern for the overuse of antibiotics and how it leads to the loss of the ability to treat serious infections. Doctors,
Antibiotic resistance is becoming a more prevalent issue. This is a growing dilemma because, not only do patients have the potential to develop resistance, but they also can transmit the resistant bacteria to others (McKellar, 2014). Additionally, it is estimated that over one-third of all antibiotics prescribed to patients are unnecessary (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2016). Overutilization of antibiotics is a growing problem due to some patients’ inappropriate demands for antibiotics or misdiagnoses by prescribers, however, underutilization of antibiotics can be just as problematic. Physicians are trained to use good antimicrobial stewardship when prescribing antibiotics; only giving them to patients who truly do have a bacterial infection. This becomes an issue when providers are too cautious and do not prescribe antibiotics in an attempt not to contribute to antibiotic resistance. Unfortunately, this caution could have a detrimental effect on the health of patients who actually need the antibiotics. To combat this issue, we must find a balance between good antimicrobial stewardship to minimize resistance while also taking underutilization into consideration. We, as pharmacists, are at a unique position between the physician and
Antibiotics-resistant organisms have become one of the most serious threats to public health, infecting over two million people and killing approximately 23,000 people annually.1 According to the CDC, “total inappropriate antibiotic use,” such as prescribing unnecessary antibiotics or giving the wrong dose or duration, makes up to 50% of all outpatient antibiotic use,2,3 and in 2009, the United States spent $10.7 billion on antibiotics, indicating that there is a lot of potential money to save.4
Little research has been done on human superbugs but even less on antibiotic resistance in animals and whether the bacteria can be passed on to humans (Press Release 1998). The problem with the growing number of bacteria that are resistance to available antibiotics, is that there are very few new antibiotics in development. The financial costs of creating newer and stronger antibiotics are exceedingly high. Pharmaceutical manufactures either don’t have the money or refuse to because of the small amount of profit they will make from these one off drugs. Research institutes are another option for new antibiotics but also don’t have the sufficient financial support (Kesselheim 2010). Antibiotic resistant patients require extensive care and there are rare cases that they need complete isolation. The cost of this intensive care for long periods of time is phenomenal. With growing rates of resistance cases more isolation units are going to be in need which will cost governments hundreds, even thousands of dollars to provide (Lansing 2011). The economic factors of antibiotic resistance for developing world countries are worrying. Some counties health systems have no where near enough financial support or staff members to help the number of superbug patients (Kaier 2011). The economic implications of the growing rates of superbug cases is concerning. Globally there is very
The general populace of western civilization may believe that modern medicine is limitless and that numerous afflictions that are common can be easily resolved with the major strides medicine has taken in the past century. In the case of antibiotics, this couldn’t be farther from the truth and its use leaves a nasty prospect for the future. Antibiotics, the type of drug that is capable of killing harmful bacteria, is widely regarded as a simple gift from medical research and is expected to be prescribed for even the mildest of illnesses. However, the use of antibiotics has proved that it comes with a terrible byproduct: leftover bacteria that survives the drug and evolves strains that are resistant to the drugs the world currently
Antibiotics have been a very important means for someone to feel better. Since the discovery of Penicillin in 1928, antibiotics have saved many countless lives that otherwise wouldn’t be saved. The real threat in the world today is the rapid spreading of antibiotic resistant diseases. To address this worldwide problem the National Action Plan for Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria was developed and issued by President Barack Obama on September 18, 2014. This plan lists five goals to slow the progression of resistant bacteria. These goals work as a guide actions of the U.S government and public health agencies around the world to address this big concern to the world’s safety.
Antibiotics have become a very important part of medicine. It is used to treat all kinds of bacteria, infections, diseases. Sadly, antibiotics have been coming to an end, they are being used more and more often everyday. They are being used so much that the bacteria they are being used to treat have been starting to become resistant to these antibiotics. Many infections that were once so easy to be treated have been gaining a stronger resistance. This is because of how the bacteria have a special enzyme that kills and eats up the antibiotics. As well as how the resistance that bacteria have can easily be passed off from one bacteria to another. This makes the resistance to antibiotics spread faster and increase rapidly. Much of the bacteria with resistance usually have it in their genes.
The overuse of antibiotics has been a problem for well over a decade. This misuse leads to many nonvisible problems arising within the human population. As the use of antibiotics increases, the number of antibiotic resistant bacteria also increases. When bacteria become resistant to an antibiotic, another antibiotic must be used to try and kill it and the cycle becomes vicious. Michael Martin, Sapna Thottathil, and Thomas Newman stated that antimicrobial resistance is, “an increasingly serious threat to global public health that requires action across all government sectors and society” (2409).
The overuse of antibiotics is creating stronger germs; some bacteria is already resistant to antibiotics. Therefore, when bacteria become resistant to antibiotics, it is difficult and costly to treat that infection. The treat to a serious bacterial infection is a big threat to public health.
According to Cable News Network, reported that, “the Center for Disease Control is categorizing antibiotic-resistant organisms by threat level. That’s because, they have estimated, more than 2 million people get antibiotic- resistant infections each year, and at least 23,000 died because current drugs no longer stop their infections” (Falco,1). Antibiotic-resistance is becoming a growing issue in society today. “A 59-year-old man was hospitalized with Klebsiella pneumonia strain, and was treated with multiple antibiotics, including the most powerful antibiotic there is. The overuse of antibiotics caused his body to become resistant to the drugs” (McKenna,3). Antibiotic resistance occurs when bacteria change in a