The challenge of antimicrobial resistance: What economics can contribute

2019/04/04 by Laurence S. J. Roope, Laurence Roope, Richard Smith +11 · 571 citations
Economics, Econometrics and Finance · Immunology and Microbiology · Medicine · #Action (physics) #Antibiotic Use and Resistance #Biology #Business #Climate change #Collective action #Commons #Computer science #Ecology #Economics #Global Maternal and Child Health #Harm #Incentive #Law #Law and economics #Microeconomics #Parallels #Perspective (graphical) #Pharmaceutical Economics and Policy #Political science #Public economics #Resistance (ecology) #Risk analysis (engineering) #Tragedy of the commons

paper · open access · doi:10.1126/science.aau4679

published in Science 364(6435) (American Association for the Advancement of Science)

openalex publication_date 2019/04/04 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05

Abstract

As antibiotic consumption grows, bacteria are becoming increasingly resistant to treatment. Antibiotic resistance undermines much of modern health care, which relies on access to effective antibiotics to prevent and treat infections associated with routine medical procedures. The resulting challenges have much in common with those posed by climate change, which economists have responded to with research that has informed and shaped public policy. Drawing on economic concepts such as externalities and the principal-agent relationship, we suggest how economics can help to solve the challenges arising from increasing resistance to antibiotics. We discuss solutions to the key economic issues, from incentivizing the development of effective new antibiotics to improving antibiotic stewardship through financial mechanisms and regulation.

Citations

• The collective-risk social dilemma and the prevention of simulated dangerous climate change

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