Prevention Matters

According to British researchers, patients who are over-prescribed antibiotics may develop drug resistance that lasts up to a year. This makes them and the rest of the population more susceptible to problems if more serious treatment is needed.

The researchers analyzed 24 previous studies of antibiotic resistance and found that the more antibiotics prescribed for coughs, flu-like illnesses and urine infections, the more resistant to the antibiotics the bacteria become.

"The effect is greatest in the month immediately after treatment, but may last for up to a year, and this residual effect may be a driver for high levels of resistance in the community," said Alastair Hay, a consultant senior lecturer in primary health care at Bristol University, who led the research.

Experts say the over-prescription of antibiotics is a “vicious cycle” and the only way to turn it around is to prescribe the drugs only when it is absolutely necessary in the first place.

Chantal Morel and Elias Mossialos, specialists in economics and health policy from the London School of Economics, believe financial incentives should be used to encourage drug companies to invest in research to find, test and develop new antibiotics and that there is “a public health as well as economic justification for intervention.”

Brandi Robinson
Tobacco Control Program Associate
Partnership for Prevention

Due to the improper use of antibiotics, Gonnorrhea may become untreatable in the near future. The World Health Organziation reported yesterday that there is now "widespread resistance" to first-line antibiotics, which are cheaper than other options, to fight the bacterium that causes Gonnorrhea.

Some countries, such as Australia and Japan are now also reporting treatment failures with a class of antibiotics that is the last line of defense against the disease. The WHO and CDC have developed an action plan to begin identifying other treatments.

Left untreated, gonorrhea can result in infertility, pelvic inflammatory disease, ectopic pregnancy, and infections in newborn children. It also increases the likelihood of acquiring and transmitting HIV.

Christianne Johnson
Program Manager
Partnership for Prevention