6 ms·

The article seems to have thrown in the towel with regard to existing antibiotics, which seems like a waste since there's so much more we could do. Restrict ant

by whack 10y ago

The article seems to have thrown in the towel with regard to existing antibiotics, which seems like a waste since there's so much more we could do. Restrict antibiotics the same way we restrict morphines. Censure doctors who over prescribe antibiotics, when they aren't needed. Do not allow them to be used in animal feed for any reason. We're talking about a vital resource that can save millions of lives. Allowing this resource to be depleted by frivolous use, is downright criminal.

cdmckay 10y ago
The issue is that it needs to be a global solution. Just changing the rules in the US won't prevent them from being abused in other countries.
- adventured 10y ago
  China for example is by far the world's largest abuser of antibiotics [1]. The average person in China is taking ten times the amount of antibiotics annually that the average person in the US takes (and when you consider the number of people in question, it's that much more staggering). You're spot on, in that it's a dramatic challenge, figuring out how to convince a nation like China to tamp down on that given the scale involved (eg a billion people being commonly prescribed antibiotics for a normal cold). [1] http://content.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,2103733,00.html http://content.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,2103733,00...
- rwallace 10y ago
  Other countries have followed the American example with regard to lots of bad policies. They might very well follow it with regard to a good policy. At least trying would be much better than just throwing our hands in the air.
- manquer 10y ago
  well if the U.S. enforced food import restrictions on antibiotic feed farm food and visa restrictions, the rest of the world will quickly change its tune
Fomite 10y ago
You seem to be assuming some of these things aren't being done. Antibiotic stewardship is a major push in most hospitals, and there are national level evaluation programs for antibiotic overuse. But, as people have noted, there are other countries also driving usage (for example, China heavily uses colistin, while its a drug of last resort in the U.S.), and once resistance is established, it's very hard to make it go away.

by whack 10y ago

cdmckay 10y ago

The issue is that it needs to be a global solution. Just changing the rules in the US won't prevent them from being abused in other countries.

adventured 10y ago
China for example is by far the world's largest abuser of antibiotics [1]. The average person in China is taking ten times the amount of antibiotics annually that the average person in the US takes (and when you consider the number of people in question, it's that much more staggering). You're spot on, in that it's a dramatic challenge, figuring out how to convince a nation like China to tamp down on that given the scale involved (eg a billion people being commonly prescribed antibiotics for a normal cold). [1] http://content.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,2103733,00.html http://content.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,2103733,00...
rwallace 10y ago
Other countries have followed the American example with regard to lots of bad policies. They might very well follow it with regard to a good policy. At least trying would be much better than just throwing our hands in the air.
manquer 10y ago
well if the U.S. enforced food import restrictions on antibiotic feed farm food and visa restrictions, the rest of the world will quickly change its tune

Fomite 10y ago

You seem to be assuming some of these things aren't being done. Antibiotic stewardship is a major push in most hospitals, and there are national level evaluation programs for antibiotic overuse. But, as people have noted, there are other countries also driving usage (for example, China heavily uses colistin, while its a drug of last resort in the U.S.), and once resistance is established, it's very hard to make it go away.