Action awaits on antimicrobial misuse – CMAJ
October 2, 2017
Three years after the Canadian government released its federal framework for action on antimicrobial drug use, the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) has released a pan-Canadian framework for action on the same issue.
Based on input from three committees of scientists, industry officials, and federal, provincial and territorial officials, PHAC’s framework — the first national consensus document ever crafted by the federal government on the issue — states that drug misuse on farms and in clinical settings “is a cause for urgent action,” that surveillance is fragmented, and that leadership has been “spare and inconsistent.”
But beyond these admissions, the framework contributes little that is new, said Bob Hancock, director of the Centre for Microbial Diseases and Immunity Research at the University of British Columbia. “I’m really disappointed,” said Hancock, who served on one of the committees. “This document lacks novelty, and it lacks an actionable plan.”
