As antibiotic consumption grows, bacteria are becoming increasingly resistant to treatment. Antibiotic resistance undermines much of modern health care, which relies on access to effective antibiotics to prevent and treat infections associated with routine medical procedures. The resulting challenges have much in common with those posed by climate change, which economists have responded to with research that has informed and shaped public policy. Drawing on economic concepts such as externalities and the principal-agent relationship, we suggest how economics can help to solve the challenges arising from increasing resistance to antibiotics. We discuss solutions to the key economic issues, from incentivizing the development of effective new antibiotics to improving antibiotic stewardship through financial mechanisms and regulation.
1.Univ Oxford, Nuffield Dept Populat Hlth, Hlth Econ Res Ctr, Oxford, England 2.Univ Oxford, NIHR, Hlth Protect Res Unit Healthcare Associated Infec, Oxford, England 3.Univ Oxford, John Radcliffe Hosp, NIHR, Oxford Biomed Res Ctr, Oxford, England 4.Univ Exeter, Sch Med, St Lukes Campus, Exeter, Devon, England 5.Publ Hlth England, Natl Infect Serv, Modelling & Econ Unit, London, England 6.Univ Groningen, Univ Med Ctr Groningen, Dept Hlth Sci, Global Hlth, Groningen, Netherlands 7.Univ Oxford, Nuffield Dept Primary Care Hlth Sci, Oxford, England 8.Max Planck Inst Demog Res, Rostock, Germany 9.Karolinska Inst, Dept Med Epidemiol & Biostat, Stockholm, Sweden 10.Univ Oxford, John Radcliffe Hosp, Nuffield Dept Med, Oxford, England
Recommended Citation:
Roope, Laurence S. J.,Smith, Richard D.,Pouwels, Koen B.,et al. The challenge of antimicrobial resistance: What economics can contribute[J]. SCIENCE,2019-01-01,364(6435):41-+