Annotated Bib Entry #2

Bettelheim, Adriel. (June 4, 1999). Drug-resistant bacteria. CQ Researcher, 9 (21). Retrieved November 12, 2007, from CQ Researcher Online, http://library.cqpress.com/cqresearcher/cqresrre1999060400.

Anti-microbial resistance is no new phenomenon. Alexander Fleming, the creator of penicillin, acknowledged the problem of anti-microbial resistance in a 1945 New York Times interview. The most recent problems with anti-microbial resistance are the lack of new antibiotics when the old ones stop working. There are many different ideas as to what is causing the resistance, but it is mostly attributed to the unnecessary overuse of the once dubbed all-purpose drugs. Patients are demanding a prescription from doctors over the phone, and are given the prescription for what is usually a virus. It is estimated that "20 to 50 percent of the 145 million antibiotic prescriptions given each year to outpatients are unnecessary"(p.5). Often times, patients don't follow the dosage for prescriptions and don't finish them-another culprit for creating drug-resistant bacteria. If patients were properly informed and all cases were properly documented, superbugs would be a lot easier to manage.
The problem with the superbugs that are created due to antibiotic overuse is not that they are more dangerous, just harder to kill. The last resort antibiotic, vancomycin, has already met its match in a few cases. The most effective measure thus far in prevention of superbugs is good hygiene, including hand washing and showering after workouts. Taking medication until it is all gone is another good measure to take. Scientists and pharmaceutical companies are working on the problem, but it could be another five years before they come up with a solution.