Fighting Antibiotic Resistance:
Marrying New Financial Incentives
To Meeting Public Health Goals
Kevin Outterson
Aaron S. Kesselheim
September 2010 29:9 HEALTH AFFAIRS 1689-1696
Boston University School of Law Working Paper No. 10-40
Abstract
The world faces a worsening public health crisis: A growing number of bacteria are resistant to available antibiotics. Yet there are few new antibiotics in the development pipeline to take the place of these increasingly ineffective drugs. We review a number of proposals intended to bolster drug development, including such financial incentives for pharmaceutical manufacturers as extending the effective patent life for new antibiotics. However, such strategies directly conflict with the clear need to reduce unnecessary antibiotic prescriptions and could actually increase prescription use. As an alternative, we recommend a two-prong, "integrated" strategy. This would increase reimbursement for the appropriate, evidence-based use of antibiotics that also met specific public health goals—such as reducing illness levels while limiting antibiotic resistance.
Accepted Paper Series
Size: 156 KB
Est. download time @ 28.8K: 5 seconds
Adobe Acrobat Reader v3.01 or greater is required to view this paper.
To obtain a free copy, click the button below
Suggested Citation:
Aaron S. Kesselheim & Kevin Outterson, "Fighting antibiotic Resistance: Marrying New Financial Incentives To Meeting Public Health Goals,"
September 2010 29:9 HEALTH AFFAIRS 1689-1696; B.U. Law Working Paper No. 10-40.
Kevin Outterson
Boston University School of Law
765 Commonwealth Avenue
Boston, MA 02215
Email address: mko@bu.edu
Office Phone: (617) 353-3135
Aaron S. Kesselheim Contact Information
Title: Instructor in Medicine
Email: akesselheim@partners.org
Phone: 617-278-0930
Mail:
Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics
Brigham and Women's Hospital, Suite 3030
1620 Tremont Street
Boston MA 02120