The health and economic burden of antimicrobial resistance

Abstract

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has profound consequences for the treatment of infections. By limiting treatment options, it often makes it necessary to resort to antibiotics with a broader spectrum of action some of which are potentially less effective or safe than narrow-spectrum antibiotics. This limitation in our ability to treat infections effectively has an impact on health care budgets but also broader and potentially disastrous consequences on a variety of economic sectors. This presentation provides an overview of the health and economic burden of AMR. It first presents the current state of knowledge on the epidemiology of AMR and discusses the main analytical challenges in determining the current and long-term effects of resistance on populations in terms of morbidity, mortality, and length of hospital stay. In addition, a summary of the current literature on the economic impact of AMR is provided along with a detailed discussion of the characteristics and limitations of existing economic models. Finally, it identifies the main knowledge gaps and suggests avenues for future research and approaches to address them.

Educational Interventions to Reduce Prescription and Dispensing of Antibiotics in Primary Care: A Systematic Review of Economic Impact

“…This finding is also supported by the study of March-Lopez et al [ 68 ] who reported a significant reduction in the total spending on antibiotics due to reductions in total spending on broad-spectrum antibiotics, and by Walker and colleagues [ 50 ] who stated that the reduction in the cost per claim of antibiotics was mainly triggered by the increasing utilization of generic first-line antibiotics. This is in line with previous literature reporting that the use of broad-spectrum antibiotics, which are commonly more expensive, and alteration in clinicians’ prescription practices, namely the prescription of second-line antibiotics, are considered some of the main drivers behind extra costs in healthcare [ 77 ].…”

“…In addition to monetary effects, directly related to antibiotics and their associated costs, inappropriate antibiotic prescriptions and dispensing also have negative effects on productivity [ 77 , 78 ]. Productivity losses are related to the amount of work time lost, due to lack and/or non-productivity as a result of reduced concentration, as well as the expected number of additional hours needed to conclude the regular amount of work [ 53 , 77 ].…”

“…In addition to monetary effects, directly related to antibiotics and their associated costs, inappropriate antibiotic prescriptions and dispensing also have negative effects on productivity [ 77 , 78 ]. Productivity losses are related to the amount of work time lost, due to lack and/or non-productivity as a result of reduced concentration, as well as the expected number of additional hours needed to conclude the regular amount of work [ 53 , 77 ]. The studies of Calls et al [ 51 ] and Dekker et al [ 53 ] were unique in that they considered productivity loss, with Dekker and colleagues reporting that the productivity loss of parents represented the highest costs regarding the intervention group, whereas Calls et al did not observe any significant difference.…”

ESBL-Producing Enterobacterales at the Human–Domestic Animal–Wildlife Interface: A One Health Approach to Antimicrobial Resistance in Piauí, Northeastern Brazil

“…The use, misuse, and overuse of antimicrobials is recognized by the World Health Organization as one of the main public health threats of the 21st century, leading to the accelerated emergence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and consequent health and economic burdens [1,2]. Bacteria develop resistance to antimicrobials through a natural process of evolution, classified as intrinsic; acquired via selective pressure associated with the use of a particular antimicrobial, or via horizontal transfer of antimicrobial resistance genes between bacteria [3,4].…”

Phytochemical composition and antibacterial activities of Azadirachta indica (Neem): significance of traditional medicine in combating infectious diseases and antimicrobial resistance

“…AMR occurs when microorganisms stop responding to antimicrobials to which they were previously sensitive to [18] . AMR has fatal consequences as reported by many scholars [17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24] , hence, the need to address it using various strategies [25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35][36] , including the use of traditional medicine1 [7,37] . The emergency of AMR demands a need to promote drug discovery and the development of newer antimicrobials and alternative therapies [2,[38][39][40][41][42][43][44][45] .…”