Antimicrobial resistance

How pharmacists in Scotland can help combat antimicrobial resistance

Jacqueline Sneddon, project lead for the Scottish Antimicrobial Prescribing Group, and Annamarie McGregor, professional support pharmacist at the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, explain how pharmacists in Scotland can improve antimicrobial stewardship.…

Effective treatments lagging behind for multidrug-resistant TB, says WHO

There are still major gaps in delivering effective treatments to patients suffering from multidrug-resistant tuberculosis, a report finds.…

Not every problem is viral

We must not allow fears about Ebola and other viruses to obscure the threat of antimicrobial resistance, writes Eamonn McArdle.…

Low levels of antibiotics and heavy metals in the environment select for resistant bacteria

In vitro experiments have shown that very low, sublethal levels of antibiotics and heavy metals can select for bacteria carrying multidrug-resistant plasmids.…

Pneumococcal vaccine reduces antibiotic resistant infections in children by 62%

The 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13) has reduced the incidence of antibiotic resistant pneumococcal infections in children.…

Prescribing of antibiotics increases by 6% in four years

The prescription of antibiotics continues to rise in England despite campaigns to curb their use because of concerns of rising antimicrobial resistance and a shortage of new antibiotics in the pipeline.…

Medicines optimisation, antimicrobial resistance and pharmacy education

RPS president Ash Soni reflects on major issues raised during the ‘pharmacy conference season’ in September.…

Research reveals 15% failure rate for antibiotics prescribed for common infections

Antibiotics prescribed by GPs in 2012 for four common infections failed in 15% of cases, according to an analysis of data in the UK Clinical Practice Research Datalink.…

Anticonvulsant lamotrigine could have antibiotic promise, researchers suggest

Researchers have found that some bacteria cannot create a complete ribosome in the presence of lamotrigine.…

New approach to target antimicrobial resistance

A new antimicrobial approach is proposed that imposes direct evolutionary pressure at the gene level.…