Purpose
This paper is aimed at discussing the strategies which are necessary to decrease the occurrence of antimicrobial resistance. In particular, it is important to focus on the policies that are supposed to restrict the use of antibiotics for agricultural purposes and food production.
Introduction
It should be mentioned that antibiotic resistance has become one of the main concerns for many medical workers. The problem is that many viruses can develop attributes that help them resist the effects of antimicrobial agents. As a result, there are many diseases which can become resilient to various drugs. For instance, one can mention certain forms of tuberculosis.
Researchers identify several underlying causes of this phenomenon. For instance, one can speak about the excessive use of antibiotics for the treatment of various diseases. Additionally, this problem can be explained by the agricultural uses of antibiotics for growth purposes. Such applications of antibiotics are regulated in various advanced countries such as the members of the European Union.
Methodology
The search words included:
- antibiotic resistance;
- antimicrobial resistance;
- agriculture.
The following databases were used:
- ProQuest;
- EBSCOhost;
- Cochraine Collaboration.
I focused on the peer-reviewed articles published within the last six years. Much attention was paid to systemic reviews, descriptive studies, and controlled trials as the most credible sources of evidence.
Results
There are various systemic reviews which illustrate that the excessive use of antibiotics for agricultural purposes is directly associated with the increasing occurrences of antimicrobial resistance. For instance, one can speak about the emergence of such a bacterium as Staphylococcus aureus which is resistant to methicillin.
Additionally, researchers argue that it is necessary to introduce regulations that can limit the use of the antibiotics in agriculture. Additionally, scholars note that these policies have been adopted in various European countries such as Denmark. Overall, similar policies have been implemented throughout the European Union. However, such restrictions have not been adopted in the United States.
The selection process can be described with the help of the following flow chart.
The summary of the main findings is presented in the following table:
Discussion
Overall, researchers note that there are several mechanisms which are useful for explaining the transmission of resistant bacteria to human beings through livestock. Admittedly, scholars also note that this problem cannot be attributed only to agricultural practices because much attention should also be paid to the excessive use of antibiotics for the treatment of various illnesses.
Apart from that, the occurrence of antimicrobial resistance decreases in those countries in which legislators banned the use of certain antibiotics for agricultural purposes. For example, one can speak about the prohibition to use avorparcin in Denmark. Admittedly, this change cannot be attributed only to a single legislative change. Nevertheless, these results should be considered by policy-makers.
Thus, available research evidence suggests that antibiotic resistance can be caused by several factors, including existing agricultural practices. Although at present, the evidence is not conclusive; it should not be overlooked by medical workers and legislators who should be able to identify various potential causes of healthcare problems. This is one of the main points that should be stressed.
At present, the main task of researchers is to design more effective studies that can illustrate and measure the effects of different factors on the prevalence of antibiotic resistance within a society. For instance, one can refer to the study carried out by Amy Sapkota who notes that the use of antibiotics in poultry farms is associated with a greater occurrence of resistant bacteria.
Certainly, many other studies are needed to understand the mechanisms of antibiotic resistance. However, the available evidence should be used as the basis for new policies that can better protect many people who are dependent on antibiotics. Provided that no steps are taken, this problem can become even more acute in the near future. This is one of the main issues that can be singled out.
It is possible to argue that antimicrobial resistance has become a source of concern for many medical workers and policy-makers in various advanced countries such as the United States, Canada, Japan, the European Union and so forth. In their opinion, the resistance to antibiotics has already affected thousands of patients. In turn, it is critical to find ways of addressing this challenge.
At present, the policy-makers do not agree on the best practices that can effectively address the increasing prevalence of antibiotic resistance. In some cases, these people may have a conflict of interests. This is one of the challenges that should be taken into account.
Legislators have taken several steps to address this problem. For instance, one can speak about the restrictions on the use of antibiotics such as avorparcin. These policies have been implemented in the entire European Union. Yet, these regulations have not been implemented in various countries such as South Korea, New Zealand, Japan and so forth.
Additionally, the government of the United States currently strives to develop policies that are supposed to restrict the use of antibiotics. At present, American policy-makers have to resolve two conflicting needs. In particular, they need to protect the health of consumers. However, at the same time, they face resistance from various companies representing agricultural industry.
Thus, at present, the laws related to antibiotic resistance can be driven by conflicting needs of different stakeholders. For instance, one can speak about consumers of food products and agricultural companies. This is the main issue that should be singled out.
It is possible to examine various ethical implications of this problem. In particular, agricultural producers are obliged to protect consumers from possible health risks. This is why they should minimize the use of antibiotics in order to protect people from various viruses or bacteria. Additionally, buyers should be at least informed about the risks of consuming such food products.
At the same time, the duty of policy-makers should consider the effects of new regulations on the work of agricultural producers. For instance, strict regulations can deprive these businesses of any economic opportunities. In turn, many people can be left unemployed. Therefore, their task is to consider the risks of various stakeholders who may be affected by new regulations or legislative acts.
One should keep in mind that the prohibition to use antibiotics for food production is not very costly. This strategy can be critical for extending the serviceable life of many antibiotics. Thus, by helping agricultural companies to eliminate the use of antibiotics, the government can reduce costs required for the development of new drugs that can be far more expensive.
Apart from that, this approach does not necessarily lead to the decline of this economic sector. This argument is particularly relevant if one speaks about Denmark that remained an important exporter of agricultural products. This issue should be taken into account by people who vehemently oppose restrictions on the use of the antibiotics for food production or other agricultural purposes.
Overall, policy-makers should adhere to precautionary principle of risk-management. It is particularly useful at the time when there is no scientific consensus about the effects of a certain policy such as the use of antibiotics for agricultural purposes. If there is a risk of harm, the policy-makers should choose the strategy that can reduce possible adverse effects.
Furthermore, while evaluating a certain practice such as the use of antibiotics to boost the growth of animals or plants, policy-makers should consider their social costs. The revenues that can be derived in this way are often outweighed by indirect expenses. The key problem is that these indirect costs can be often overlooked by legislators and economists who should design more effective policies.
To a great extent, this approach can be vital for the protection of various patients who continuously rely on the use of antibiotics. Antibiotic resistance can pose a serious threat to their lives or health. Overall, the needs of these people should be viewed as the topmost priority. These are the main details that can be identified.
Conclusion
Overall, it is possible to argue that the policies which are aimed at limiting the use of antibiotics can be beneficial. This policy has been tested in various advanced countries such as the members of the EU. Moreover, this approach has proven to be rather successful. Therefore, it can be adopted by legislators representing various countries, including the United States. This is the main argument that can be made.
Bias and limitations
The occurrence of antibiotic resistance depends on various variables that cannot be controlled within empirical studies. It is important to design more studies which can examine the relations between the consumption of certain food products and occurrence of antibiotic resistance. Such research works can help medical workers and legislators design more effective policies.
Admittedly, the arguments included in this study are based on the premise that policy-makers should primarily focus on the interests of consumers and patients, especially if they have reasonable grounds to believe that their health can be endangered. Overall, this strategy can be beneficial in the long term because the community will not need to incur costs which are needed for the creation of drugs.
References
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