Abstract
Antimicrobial resistance is an emerging global health problem. Antimicrobial stewardship interventions attempt at regulating the prescription and use of antimicrobials so that the emergence of resistance is reduced. But antimicrobial stewardship interventions have several ethical issues such as inequity in access to antimicrobials among the poor who need them more, and limitation of the autonomy of prescribers and patients. Several upstream social determinants influence susceptibility to infections, antimicrobial prescription practices, and emergence of antimicrobial resistance. Some of these social determinants impose ethical burdens on the antimicrobial stewardship interventions. Addressing these social determinants with a public health approach will help reduce antimicrobial resistance. This article argues that the social determinants approach helps reduce the ethical burdens of antimicrobial stewardship.
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This manuscript contains insights gained while conducting an operations research project to assess the appropriateness of antimicrobial use in public health facilities funded by the Tamil Nadu Health Systems Reforms Program (TNHSRP), the fund administered by the Indian Institute of Technology – Madras. The grant was received by Vijayaprasad Gopichandran.
Tamil Nadu Health Systems Reforms Program
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Gopichandran, V. Reducing the Ethical Burdens of Antimicrobial Stewardship using a Social Determinants Approach. ABR 14, 183–190 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s41649-022-00202-9
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s41649-022-00202-9