Antibiotic resistance has become a contentious issue in the medical age. Indeed, the situation has escalated in the recent years if the data that has been provided by the medical authorities is anything to go by. The resistance to antibiotics comes about when an antimicrobial loses its ability to kill bacteria effectively. Simply put, the bacteria continue to multiply even in the presence of the antibiotics. This paper provides a policy evaluation, analysis, and revision of the antibiotic resistance phenomena that has rocked the medical fraternity over the past few decades.
Evaluation Stage
The evaluation stage is whereby there is an in-depth look at the issue that is being analyzed. The evaluation stage is a step in the process of planning where the reward that is expected from an underlying situation is weighed and then compared with the associated risk (Antibiotics, 2014) . For instance, the benefits that are received from the use of antibiotics can be looked at and then compared to the risk that is associated with their abuse which results in resistance in the long term.
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Policy Objectives
Antibiotics resistance is a global issue that needs unbiased attention since it affects every nation. When analyzing the problem, concrete objectives need to be put in place to ensure that at the end of the study, all the goals are met. One of the targets that can be looked at is the factors that have accelerated the resistance to antibiotics in the society. Additionally, another critical objective would be to look at the measures that can be put in place to combat resistance to antibiotics (Sprenger, 2015) .
Reasons why Bacteria Become Resistant to Antibiotics
Numerous scientists have pointed out that bacterial resistance to antibiotics is a natural phenomenon. Most of them have justified this by pointing out that when an antitoxin is in use, the bacterium that is resistant to it has a higher chance of survival than the one that is susceptible. Resistance to antibiotics can also occur as a result of bacteria producing and using the medicines to fight other bacteria. The phenomenon is not entirely as a result of human action. However, medics and other health experts the world over have attributed the current resistance to antibiotics as a result of abuse and overuse. It has been increased by the fact that most of the medicines are readily available and hence can be purchased via the internet or over the counter without a doctor’s prescription (Bartlett, Spelberg & Gilbert, 2018). Indeed, various cases have been reported whereby patients take antibiotics when they are suffering from viral illnesses like a common cold. The rampant and widespread abuse of antibiotics has been noted as the main reason why medicines have become resistant.
Bacterial Resistance to Antibiotics
Through many years of study and close analysis, scientists have realized that some microorganisms are naturally resilient to some drugs. On the contrary, some bacteria may become tough by acquiring resistance from another bacterium or through gene mutation. Mutation is the process whereby a bacterium changes its gene structure and composition spontaneously. Variations that occur differently bring about different types of resistance. One form of modification acts by eliminating the cell that was supposed to be attacked by the antibiotics whereas the other secretes potent enzymes that inactivate the antibiotics. Moreover, some also produce a pumping effect that exports the medicines back in a manner that it will never reach its target while others even close the entry points through which the antimicrobial enters the cell (Kakkar, 2018) .
Spreading of Antibiotic Resistance
Bacterial resistance to antibiotics spreads both ‘vertically’ and ‘horizontally.’ The process occurs vertically when new generations of the bacteria inherit the genes that are resistant. Horizontal spread occurs when the affected bacteria exchanges parts of their genetic make-up with other bacteria. Gene transfer is possible horizontally even if the bacteria are of different species. The high mobility of bacteria makes it possible for antibiotic resistance to taking place in environmental forms from one locality to another. It takes place via wind, water, and airplanes. Physical contact through unwashed hands and coughing can also lead to the transfer of the resistant bacteria.
Ways of Tackling Resistance to Antibiotics
If the issue of antibiotic resistance is not tackled on time, then the drugs that are in use will gradually lose their ability to cure illnesses over time. There is an urgent need for the human population to slow down on the process of using antibiotics so that they can last a long time and still maintain their effectiveness (Control, 2015) . Furthermore, more resources need to be devoted to the development of new antibiotics.
Step 1: Preventing Infections
Preventing the infections from taking place is the first efficient way of preventing the spread of resistance. The absence of infections means that there will be no use of antibiotics in the first place. Apart from that, various methods abound that can be adapted to prevent diseases that are resistant to drugs. Some of them include handwashing, safe preparation of food and immunization. Preventing infections will also reduce the spread of bacteria that are resistant.
Step 2: Improving Antibiotic Prescribing/Stewardship
One of the surest actions that can be taken to curb antibiotic resistance is changing the manner in which they are prescribed and used. Research has indicated that about half of the use of antibiotics in both animals and humans is entirely unnecessary. The spread of resistance would be combated efficiently if medics reduced the number of prescriptions that they give to people and animals. Antibiotic stewardship is the commitment to use antibiotics in the right way and only when they are needed.
Analysis Stage
Analysis stage is the breakdown of the processes that are sued to transmit the outputs, inputs, and operations that have taken place in each phase in step by step manner. The method of analysis can be used to gain a deeper understanding of the process while at the same time eliminating wastage and attaining efficiency.
Factors that Prevent the Objectives from Being Met
Antibiotic resistance has continued to be a threat to medicine and has put the lives of millions of patients at risk. Many factors exist that willdefinitely curtail the process of eliminating antibiotic resistance. Antibiotic prescribing is violated by many patients since most of them have unlimited access to over the counter drugs that are available without doctors’ prescription. When it comes to preventing infections, most people are unable to take the necessary measures that will keep them safe from diseases due to their living conditions. For instance, most people who live in third-world nations do not have access to clean water and proper sanitation hence making them susceptible to multiple bacterial infections. Their disadvantaged positions put them at direct risk of using and abusing antibiotics thus increasing the chances of resistance.
Factors that Could Contribute Towards the Policy Meeting its Objectives
One of the factors that would increase the chances of the policy meeting its objectives is the fact that most people would be receptive to the idea of preventing the infections rather than curing them. Additionally, increase in public awareness is also proven to be a key towards the policy achieving its objectives. Through increased awareness, the public will be aware of the dangers of overusing or abusing antibiotics.
Revision Stage
It is the stage during which a keen look at evaluation and analysis is done to correct some of the critical issues that they might have been addressed. For instance, for the policy on antibiotics to be successful, pharmacists should be sensitized on the need to ask for a doctor’s prescription from patients who purchase over the counter drugs. In conclusion, it is of great essence that all stakeholders take the appropriate action to ensure that the problem of antibiotics resistance is tackled adequately and promptly in a manner that will not jeopardize the society and the healthcare system in general.
References
Antibiotics, A. f. (2014). General Background: About Antibiotic Resistance. Alliance for the Prudent Use of Antibiotics , 43-56.
Control, C. f. (2015). Antibiotics Aren’t Always the Answer. Center for Disease Control , 13-24.
John G. Bartlett, B. S. (2018). 8 Ways to Deal With Antibiotic Resistance. Medscape , 21-18.
Kakkar, M. (2018). Developing a situation analysis tool to assess containment of antimicrobial resistance in South East Asia. BMJ Publishing Group , 56-75.
Sprenger, M. (2015). How to stop antibiotic resistance? Here's a WHO prescription. World Health Organisation , 112-123.
