Antibiotics

All antibiotic drugs and products should only be obtained through a doctor’s prescription. Drugs/antibiotics should not be routinely prescribed for people with or without illnesses if they will benefit only minimally and/or if it will result in a significant threat to the general population in the future due to mutations of more resistant forms of bacteria.

Doctor’s should be required to justify, in writing, their prescriptions of antibiotics and should periodically notify the American Medical Association and/or other medically oriented organizations of the number of prescriptions granted for purposes of statistical analysis.

Antibacterial Products

The sale and distribution of antibacterial products should be banned. These should only be available by prescription from a medical professional and only for the purpose of protecting those with demonstrated immune deficiencies or who have been diagnosed with any other valid condition to demand such products.

Antibiotic Usage In Food Animal Production

Antibiotic usage in food animal production should be minimized to the greatest degree practical so as to reduce the future evolution of antibiotic resistant of bacteria in both animals and humans. All non-therapeutic (i.e., not used to treat diseases) uses of antibiotics should be either banned or taxed at extremely high rates, such as $1 per pound of animal treated throughout its lifetime. Such a high tax would reduce the prevalence of usage to a degree which would not pose dramatic negative health consequences in the future. Enforcement and stiff penalties, as is the case with any law, are absolutely essential. All animal uses of antibiotics, for whatever reason, needs to be reported to the proper authority, such as the FDA.

Therapeutic uses should be minimized and the most effective way to do so is to ensure that animals have a healthy, spacious, sanitary environment in which to live and grow during all stages of their lives. The natural immune system of animals should protect them if conditions are proper.  Antibiotics should be used sparingly and only on a case by case basis. The only way to ensure such conditions is by surprise inspection of production facilities and stiff fines for non-compliance. Perhaps operations beyond a certain size should be required to provide periodic public access, perhaps with tour guides provided either by the company itself, government regulators or other knowledgeable people. Even school field trips would be an effective restraint against cruel living conditions.