title: The path of least resistance: paying for antibiotics in non-human uses.
abstract: Antibiotic resistance is a critical threat to human and animal health. Despite the importance of antibiotics, regulators continue to allow antibiotics to be used in low-value applications--subtherapeutic dosing in animals, and spraying tobacco plants for blue mold, for example--where the benefits are unlikely to outweigh the costs in terms of increased resistance. We explore the application of a user fee in non-human uses of antibiotics. Such a fee would efficiently deter low value uses while also providing funding to support the development of the urgently needed new antibiotics.
authors.affiliation: Department of Economics, University of Calgary, 2500 University Dr NW, Calgary, AB, Canada T2N 1N4. Electronic address: ahollis@ucalgary.ca.
authors.forename: Aidan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hollis
authors.affiliation: University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: Ziana
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Ahmed
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000191:economics*; D017756:Aquaculture; D016527:Drug Costs; D024881:Drug Resistance, Bacterial; D006291:Health Policy; D007880:Legislation, Drug; D058751:Livestock
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents
keywords: Antibiotic resistance; Incentives; User fees