The European Parliament could play a crucial role in shaping a European prudent use of antibiotics policy and JPIAMR can provide evidence and data to support such a policy. JPIAMR should also provide best practice guidelines. This was the main message from a meeting JPIAMR organised on 16 February 2016 with European Parliamentarians to discuss how the initiative can take an active part in the implementation of the EP resolution on ‘Safer healthcare in Europe: improving patient safety and fighting antimicrobial resistance’.
The aim of this informal meeting was to gather a smaller number of individuals to engage in concrete discussions on how the JPIAMR can really take on an active role in implementing the resolution on Safer Healthcare in Europe and other initiatives such as the European Action Plan. We need to make sure that all these good initiatives from research to policy making work together and move from words to implementation. Antimicrobial resistance is a real threat to society and there is not one solution to the problem. JPIAMR is already acting on a number of the issues addressed in the resolution but we would like to do more.
The meeting addressed the threat of antibiotic resistance, future legislation on prudent use of antibiotics and prescription behaviour of antibiotics, with several MEPs. Another topic on the agenda was how research can provide evidence for future political action in the field. For example, research can provide data and evidence on death rates or transmission of resitance through food. Also it is key to involve the agriculture sector.
