Practical Approach to Antimicrobial Resistance (UEMO Bucharest October 19, 2016)
European guidelines on prudent use of antimicrobials in human medicine are being drafted at present and are very important in creating uniform standards; however, their implementation (of these very guidelines) calls for a practical approach in general practice:
– Point of care testing should be available in every GP-practice for more evidence based decision making (i.e., CRP)
– There is a need for REGIONAL monitoring and benchmarking (peer review, CME) of appropriate use of antibiotics and resistance monitoring; the involvement of regional laboratories and microbiologist expertise is therefore essential.
– The choice of the most appropriate antimicrobial therapy, when necessary, should not depend on financial constraint (as is now the case in several member states!)
– Patient compliance is very important too.
– This requires awareness among the public on the importance of adequate drug taking, easy-to-obey medication schedules.
– Social media campaigns shall be considered to point out the importance of appropriate use; this also calls for strongly opposing and actually banning the possibility for pharmaceutical companies to advertise inappropriate use of antibiotics or selling antibiotics on internet.
– CME, peer review and benchmarking ,both individual and group , are considered very effective and therefore deserve continuous ( financial) support.
– National toolkits should be made available to every health worker dealing with infection treatment and prescription of antibiotics.
– The Promotion, Europe-wide, of a “prescription only” regimen for antibiotics is deemed necessary.
Source: Lettre du groupe de travail de l’UEMO dirigé par Fritz-Georg Fark à l’attention du European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), rédigée par Fritz-Georg Fark et Gert Jan van Loonen, délégués UEMO.