Best practices to fight antimicrobial resistance

The International Coalition of Medicines Regulatory Authorities (ICMRA) highlights successful regulatory and non-regulatory interventions used in different countries to address the growing public health problem of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in a new report published today.

AMR threatens our ability to effectively treat infections because of an ever-increasing range of bacteria and other microorganisms that have adapted to become resistant to available treatments.

Tackling AMR is one of ICMRA’s strategic priorities. ICMRA recognises that AMR is a complex, multifaceted problem and calls for better coordination across all sectors, including public health, animal health and the environment, through a ‘One Health’ approach. A concerted and collaborative effort is essential to address this threat to global health, economies and security effectively.

The report presents case studies on best practices from different countries that were developed in line with the ‘One Health’ approach and address AMR and antimicrobial use in humans, animals and the environment.

The best practices included focus on the following topics:

• Regulatory flexibilities that help bring novel therapies to market
• Sales reporting of medically important antimicrobials for veterinary use that informs antimicrobial resistance/antimicrobial use surveillance and stewardship initiatives
• Lessons learned from the regulatory agilities implemented in response to the COVID-19 pandemic
• Restriction of the sale and supply of non-prescription availability of antibiotics
• Development and progress of a pilot study on reimbursement models for novel antimicrobials
• Reporting of selective antibiograms to inform antimicrobial choice
• Feedback on prescriber data for antibiotics
• Treatment recommendations for common infections in outpatient care
• Development of methods for monitoring AMR in the environment

The case studies also serve as tools to promote further discussions and collaboration and strengthen the resolve to take steps to address AMR.

The development of the report follows a series of discussions with international regulators to provide strategic direction and find innovative solutions to fight the spread of AMR. The document is available in English and French on the ICMRA website.