Newswise — The Center for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that each year 2 million Americans become infected with antibiotic-resistant, or drug-resistant, bacteria, resulting in 23,000 deaths. As antibiotic use becomes more widespread, the bacteria they are meant to kill find ways to evade them, making these medicines ineffective.
Recent studies have found that a significant proportion of doctors over-prescribe antibiotics, making them a major contributor to the problem of drug-resistance. Barbara Jones, MD, an expert on the topic, can explain the underlying problem of drug-resistance, and how physician prescribing behaviors borne from historical, cultural and local attitudes collide to exacerbate the problem. She can also describe approaches for moving forward.
Jones is a pulmonologist at the VA Salt Lake City Health Care System and assistant professor of internal medicine at University of Utah Health. Her research focuses on antibiotic stewardship and factors that contribute to antibiotic prescribing.
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