title: Economics of antibiotic administration.
abstract: This article examines several elements of antibiotic administration that make it worthy of policy analysis, including microbial resistance, contagion, competing brand and generic drugs, and formulary restrictions by insurers and hospitals. These topics are explored using two concepts from health economics, cost-effectiveness and externalities, revealing theoretical and empirical evidence that society may not be using antibiotics as efficiently as it could.
authors.affiliation: Harvard Medical School, Harvard University, 260 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA. sommers@fas.harvard.edu
authors.forename: Ben D
authors.initials: BD
authors.lastname: Sommers
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000191:economics* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D003657:Decision Making; D016527:Drug Costs; D004351:Drug Resistance; D006291:Health Policy; D006801:Humans; D014481:United States
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents