WHO highlights the critical importance of 'rational antibiotic use'
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A press release from WHO highlights the critical importance of 'rational antibiotic use, including education of healthcare workers and the public in the appropriate use of antibiotics'.
Irrational drug use is encouraging the emergence of super-resistant microbes that have the potential to cause widespread death and suffering worldwide. The press release refers to a recent Lancet Infectious Diseases article on new bacteria in India, Pakistan and the UK that are resistant to almost all known antibiotics. The paper concluded: "The potential for wider international spread... is clear and frightening."
Appropriate use of antibiotics is only possible if healthcare workers and the public have access to reliable, unbiased information on medicines. Universal access to reliable information on medicines is readily achievable and should be a cornerstone of efforts to promote rational prescribing. There is an urgent need for concerted action.
