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‘Antibiotic resistance is a serious and growing public health problem, not
only in this country but worldwide.’ — MARK MCCLELLAN FDA Commissioner |
THE NEW
requirement, announced by the Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday,
aims to reduce inappropriate prescribing of antibiotics for common ailments
such as ear infections and chronic coughs, which often are caused by viruses
that do not respond to antibiotics. Antibiotics only kill bacteria, but patients often request them for treating a variety of infections. Starting next year, antibiotic labels will be required to include instructions for doctors to prescribe them only when an infection is proven or strongly suspected to be caused by bacteria. The labels also will encourage physicians to counsel patients about what types of infections require antibiotic treatment, as well as remind them to take all of their medication, even if they feel better in a few days. |
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Not completing a full course of treatment can give microbes the
chance to mutate to resist antibiotics, causing infections that are harder
to treat. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, half of the 100 million prescriptions a year written by office-based physicians in the United States are unnecessary because they are prescribed for the common cold and other viral infections. |
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“Antibiotic
resistance is a serious and growing public health problem, not only in this
country but worldwide,” FDA Commissioner Mark McClellan said, noting that
the growth of resistant germs is outpacing development of new antibiotics.
“We may end up in a situation where we don’t have effective antibiotic drugs
for common infections that were once easily treated.” The agency plans to try and publicize the warnings through medical journals and professional medical societies. Reacting to the announcement, Jeff Trewhitt, a spokesman for the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, said the drug industry group had just begun reviewing the new rule, but declined further comment. © 2003 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Reuters content is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters. |
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$55.00
Trish McEvoy
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ALL INFORMATION, DATA, AND
MATERIAL CONTAINED, PRESENTED, OR PROVIDED HERE IS FOR GENERAL INFORMATION
PURPOSES ONLY AND IS NOT TO BE CONSTRUED AS REFLECTING THE KNOWLEDGE OR OPINIONS
OF THE PUBLISHER, AND IS NOT TO BE CONSTRUED OR INTENDED AS PROVIDING MEDICAL OR
LEGAL ADVICE. THE DECISION WHETHER OR NOT TO VACCINATE IS AN IMPORTANT AND
COMPLEX ISSUE AND SHOULD BE MADE BY YOU, AND YOU ALONE, IN CONSULTATION WITH
YOUR HEALTH CARE PROVIDER.
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sees few smallpox reactions
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