The Hague • 22 November 2023
Governments and policymakers, in collaboration with national pharmacy organisations, must regulate and monitor the consumption of antimicrobials, routes of access to them, and data availability about them in humans and animals, the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) said today in a new statement of policy on mitigating AMR.
The statement lists a number of further recommendations to this group of stakeholders, including that they take action to facilitate the registration of new or existing antimicrobials, providing appropriate economic incentives to encourage their development and commercial availability, and to allow pharmacists to produce essential antibiotics in cases of shortage.
“This new policy replaces one published by FIP in 2017. It also makes a strong call on pharmacists to embrace leadership roles in mitigating AMR and advancing antimicrobial stewardship (AMS). AMR is one of the greatest public health threats we face and urgent action through AMS is needed. Pharmacists are also encouraged to urge competent authorities to involve them in national and local immunisation programmes, especially for vulnerable populations, to help reduce the need to use antibiotics,” said FIP vice president Ms Manjiri Gharat, who is also co-chair of the FIP Commission on AMR and who co-led the policy committee that developed the statement. “In addition, the statement calls on pharmacists to encourage the use of point-of-care diagnostic tools to screen for early signs of infectious diseases, as well as to advocate for an environmentally conscious approach and the application of green pharmacy principles throughout the lifecycle of antibiotics,” Ms Gharat said.
The statement draws attention to challenges in the fight against AMR, which include inadequate surveillance and monitoring, unreliable supply chain, sub-optimal medicines regulation and enforcement, and inadequate infection prevention and control, as well as poor water sanitation and hygiene. A number of commitments from FIP are also set out in the policy, including to support scientific research and evidence-based information to advance knowledge on the effective, safe, and responsible use of antimicrobials in communities and other healthcare settings.
Notes for editors
This week is World Antimicrobial Resistance Awareness Week (18-24 November).
About FIP
The International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) is the global federation of national associations of pharmacists, pharmaceutical scientists and pharmacy educators, and is in official relations with the World Health Organization. Through its 156 member organisations, it represents over four million practitioners and scientists around the world. www.fip.org
PRESS CONTACT
Ms Marina Llibre Martín
Communications Coordinator
International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP)
Email marina@fip.org
Tel +31 70 302 1977