Pharmaceutical Journal: AMR: time is running out, we need action now
Editorial Board

“…[Antimicrobial resistance (AMR)] is one of the biggest threats to modern medicine and the global economy, yet millions of people are unaware of its potentially catastrophic implications. … Too many patients, unaware of the looming crisis, still feel their illness is somehow validated if they are prescribed an antibiotic, whether they need it or not. Urgent action is required to fundamentally change this mindset, and time is running out. … Community pharmacy can play a vital role. … The overriding message is that we are ‘all in this together’ and without the efforts and commitment from individuals on the ground, the global battle cannot be won. With this in mind, each and every one of the … pharmacists in Britain should carefully examine what they are currently doing to counter the global threat of AMR. Then they should look to redouble that effort” (9/27).

Project Syndicate: Tackling AMR With the IMF
Jim O’Neill, honorary professor of economics at Manchester University

“…[O]ne of the biggest challenges [of addressing AMR] will be holding to account individual countries and multilateral organizations, such as the U.N. itself. How will we confirm that governments and institutions have followed through on their lofty declarations? For starters, we can look at the intersection of economics and public health. … [The International Monetary Fund (IMF)] should take the lead. … The IMF is ideally suited to get to the bottom of this question as a part of its routine economic assessments. And its analyses would be even more valuable to less wealthy countries, where preventing outbreaks of infectious diseases could directly boost long-term economic growth. … [P]olicymakers still need to agree on a source of funding for the market-entry rewards intended to encourage the development of new drugs and diagnostics. Such innovations will be crucial for preventing and detecting AMR, and an incentive mechanism to stimulate them is increasingly regarded as the right way to go. That, too, is a topic on which the IMF could provide invaluable advice” (9/26).