Adapting to survive: addressing the global problem of Antimicrobial Resistance

This article was migrated. The article was marked as recommended. Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a significant, emerging threat to global public health. In this article, we describe the scale of the threat and why it is such a global concern. We also outline actions that have been identified to address this threat, which includes focusing on the education of healthcare workers and clinicians, as well as members of the public. We describe how medical curricula currently offer opportunities for improving educational interventions that are focused on better prescribing and antimicrobial stewardship. Finally, we argue that by itself, this is not sufficient. Medical students also require a robust understanding of key microbiological principles to underpin and consolidate their prescribing skills when it comes to antibiotics and this need to be consolidated throughout the duration of all medical curricula and beyond. Integrating the medical sciences to create a clinical behaviour change is key to combating (AMR).