How pharma is contributing to antimicrobial resistance

摘要

Medicines like antibiotics save countless lives and improve the safety of critical medical procedures. It is sometimes easy to forget that the oft-maligned pharmaceutical industry produces them-and should be highly regarded for this invaluable contribution to the society. However, the industry is also complicit in one of the greatest challenges to society-the threat posed by antibiotic resistance. The major focus of public efforts is aimed at the right prescription and use of antibiotics by doctors, pharmacists and patients. Although this is important, there is a more imminent issue that producers of antibiotics must address-environmental pollution. In 2009, Joakim Larsson of the University of Goteborg and his team found rivers near Hyderabad, one of India's pharmaceutical centres, with concentrations of antibiotics higher than the blood of a patient undergoing treatment1.