White House Releases National Strategy for Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria

Citing the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) finding that antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections are responsible for an estimated 23,000 deaths each year, the White House has released a document detailing a national strategy to curb antibiotic-resistant bacteria. The National Strategy for Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria (PDF) includes educational efforts for patients, pharmacists and other health care providers, and other stakeholders to minimize unnecessary prescribing of antibiotics, among other initiatives. The strategy document is the basis of a 2014 Executive Order on Combating Antibiotic Resistance, as well as a forthcoming National Action Plan that directs federal agencies to accelerate the response to “this growing threat to the nation’s health and security,” the report indicates.