Drug resistance

O’Neill accuses British government of losing focus on AMR

The author of a landmark report on antimicrobial resistance has accused the UK government of losing focus on the challenge over the past 18 months…

AMR highlighted as part of World Antibiotic Awareness Week

Effective management of antibiotics can halve the number of people who contract drug-resistant infections in hospital, to mark World Antibiotic Awareness Week, which ran from 13 to 19 November 2017…

RPS video features pharmacists at work to combat antimicrobial resistance

A new video from the Royal Pharmaceutical Society showcases the diversity of antimicrobial stewardship activities across the pharmacy sector. The three-minute video features on-location interviews with pharmacists and pharmaceutical scientists in care homes, hospitals, community pharmacies and…

Superbug encounters of the resistant kind

Superbugs: The Fight For Our Lives, a new exhibition at London’s Science Museum, explores potential solutions to the global threat of antibiotic resistance.…

Patients to undergo blood test before being given antibiotics

Patients will be required to undergo a blood test to decide if they require antibiotics to treat their symptoms as part of a pilot scheme in the north of England.…

WHO calls on food industry to stop routinely using antibiotics in healthy animals

The World Health Organization has called on farmers and the food industry to stop using antibiotics routinely to promote growth and prevent disease in healthy animals.…

Avoid prescribing antibiotics for sinusitis, says new guidance from NICE and PHE

Antibiotics should not be routinely prescribed for sinusitis, says new guidance, developed by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence and Public Health England.…

Indicators developed to measure EU progress on tackling antibiotic resistance

A set of outcome indicators has been developed to help EU member states monitor their progress in combating antimicrobial resistance.…

Northern Ireland tops UK for antibiotic prescribing

Northern Ireland’s antibiotic use is the highest in the UK, with prescribing rates currently 30% higher than in England, according to Michael McBride, chief medical officer for the country. Most antibiotics prescriptions were issued by GPs, but 8% were prescribed by dentists.…

Genome sequencing reveals how MRSA spreads

Strains of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) previously thought to be restricted to hospitals are spreading in the wider UK population, according to new research published in the journal Science.…