STATUS OF ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANCE

The most urgent antimicrobial resistance problems identified by APUA Mexico members are:

  • Lack of access to appropriate antimicrobial therapy
  • Lack of regulation in human use and agricultural use
  • Lack of surveilance of antibiotic use and resistence
  • Lack of updated antibiotic use and treatment guidelines
  • Lack of continuing medical education on antibiotic use for prescribers
  • Lack of microbiological lab capacity/lab training/diagnostic tools

Tuberculosis, acute respiratory infections and diarrheal diseases all have high prevalence in Mexico. 

Up to now, the only regulation established in Mexico for the sale of antibiotics has been the prohibition of the distribution of these types of drug to people other than physicians, a need for distributors to adhere to the "authorized information for prescription", and an obligation for the manufacturers of antibiotics to include in the package the label, "the sale of this product requires a medical prescription".

Antibiotic use as growth promoters in animal food is forbidden in Mexico, but the production and use of antibiotics in veterinary medicine do not follow always proper quality control. There is no information on use in agriculture and insufficient information on trends in supply, use, costs and resistance on a regional and national basis. APUA Mexico held a conference in 1997 to consider establishing a national surveillance system (RHOVE). APUA International sent two experts to lend technical expertise.

CHAPTER OVERVIEW

Chapter Objectives and Priorities:

  • Elaboration of charts with the guidelines for the use of antibiotics in specific clinical situations relevant to Mexico.
  • Elaboration of printed material, directed to the medical professionals and the antibiotic user to improve the use of antibiotics.
  • Collaboration with the government in the development in Mexico of a program to implement registration of antibiotic consumption at all levels, hospitals and nationally.
  • Collaboration with the authorities to promote improvement of detection, reporting and communication of resistant bacteria by nurses, doctors, laboratories and related committees.
  • Organization of at least three workshops related to APUA goals, to be held at the scientific meetings of the Internal Medicine Society, Pharmaceutical Society or Nosocomial Infections Society.
  • Inclusion of the Spanish version of the APUA Newsletter in the medical journals related to the use of antibiotics.

CHAPTER ACTIVITIES

  • The regulation and promotion of the appropriate use of antibiotics in Mexico
  • Implementation of the regulations will be discussed by Mexican Congress

APUA Mexico held its 1998 annual chapter workshop at the city of San Luis Potosi, Mexico. The workshop was about Quality in the Monitoring of Use and Resistance to Antibiotics in the Mexican Hospital. There were 90 participants from all over the country who discussed, among other things, the importance of standardizing methods for isolate sampling, data reporting, and data analysis.

2014 Chapter Update can be found here.

CHAPTER LEADERSHIP

 

Dr. Miguel Angel Peredo Lopez, Chapter Leader

Dr. Anahi Dresser
Dr. Mussaret Saidi
Dr. Jose Donis