‘Antimicrobial resistance is a social problem requiring a social solution’, says Prof Richard Smith, a professor of health systems economics in the BMJ.

Smith R. Antimicrobial resistance is a social problem requiring a social solution

BMJ 2015; 350 :h2682 (Published 19 May 2015)

http://www.bmj.com/content/350/bmj.h2682.full.pdf%20html (restricted access)

Social factors are driving antimicrobial resistance, including ‘how the public and healthcare professionals understand, value, and use antimicrobials’.

‘The latest report from the O’Neill review recommends a global innovation fund of around $2bn (£1.3bn; €1.8bn) to boost “blue sky” research into drugs and diagnostics and says that a comprehensive package of interventions in this area could cost “as little as $16bn.” That may be true, but even with those investments there is a risk that nothing will result. And any results we do get may only be buying time. It would be more sustainable and effective to use such funds to support work to restructure our health systems and reverse our dependency on antibiotics, which ultimately we will need to do whether or not new antibiotics are discovered.’

I agree and would add that WHO has outlined 12 key interventions to promote rational use of antibiotics and other drugs ( http://www.who.int/medicines/areas/rational_use/en/ ). Among these, prescribers and users must have easy access to reliable, independent, appropriate information on medicines. It is unacceptable that many prescribers continue to be dependent on drug promotion literature and 20-year old copies of the BNF. The HIFA Challenge Working Group on Information for Prescribers and Users of Medicines is continuing to work on this issue, leading one of HIFA’s SMART goals: Information on Medicines For All: “By 2016, every English-speaking prescriber and user worldwide with internet access will have free access to independent, reliable, understandable information on the full range of commonly prescribed medicines – and will know where to find it. By 2018, such information will be available in at least 6 other major languages.”

We have had discussions with the Essential Medicines Programme at WHO and with the BNF about what might be done to improve access globally, and we are planning a literature review and survey to get a better understanding of what is currently available and what is needed. If anyone would like more information, please get in touch.

http://www.hifa2015.org/prescribers-and-users-of-medicines/

Best wishes,

Neil

Let’s build a future where people are no longer dying for lack of healthcare knowledge – Join HIFA: www.hifa2015.org