When Antibiotics Fail

INFORMING DECISIONS WHEN ANTIBIOTICS FAIL The Expert Panel on the Potential Socio-Economic Impacts of Antimicrobial Resistance in Canada ii When Antibiotics Fail THE COUNCIL OF CANADIAN ACADEMIES 180 Elgin Street, Suite 1401, Ottawa, ON, Canada K2P 2K3 Notice: The project that is the subject of this report was undertaken with the approval of the Board of Directors of the Council of Canadian Academ [...] Any opinions, findings, or conclusions expressed in this publication are those of the authors, the Expert Panel on the Potential Socio-Economic Impacts of Antimicrobial Resistance in Canada, and do not necessarily represent the views of their organizations of affiliation or employment, or the sponsoring organization, the Public Health Agency of Canada. [...] The CCA is also supported by its three founding Academies: The Royal Society of Canada (RSC) Founded in 1882, the RSC comprises the Academies of Arts, Humanities and Sciences, as well as Canada’s first national system of multidisciplinary recognition for the emerging generation of Canadian intellectual leadership: The College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists. [...] AMR is an example of the “tragedy of the commons:” the very benefits enjoyed by the public from the availability and use of antimicrobials can lead to the overuse, limited effectiveness, and eventual reduction in benefit. [...] The CCA Board of Directors, Scientific Advisory Committee, and the CCA’s three founding Academies — the Royal Society of Canada, the Canadian Academy of Engineering, and the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences — all provided guidance and input.