Antibiotic Resistance Is a Tragedy of the Commons That Necessitates Global Cooperation

Journal of Law, Medicine and Ethics

Volumn 43, Issue S3, 2015, Pages 33-37

  Hollis, Aidan ^a   Maybarduk, Peter ^b  

^a UNIVERSITY OF CALGARY   (Canada)

^b NONE

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

Indexed keywords

ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANCE; DEVELOPING COUNTRY; DRUG DEVELOPMENT; HUMAN; INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION; MANAGEMENT;

DEVELOPING COUNTRIES; DRUG DISCOVERY; DRUG RESISTANCE, MICROBIAL; HUMANS; INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION; POLICY MAKING;

EID: 84938600915     PISSN: 10731105     EISSN: 1748720X     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1111/jlme.12272     Document Type: Article

References (19)

1. T. F. Barlam and K. Gupta, "Antibiotic Resistance Spreads Across Borders, " Journal of Law, Medicine & Ethics 43, no. 2, Supp. (2015).
2. M. Balasegaram, C. Clift, and J.-A. Røttingen, "A Pathway towards an Alternative Business Model for Antibiotic Innovation: A Framework, Fund and Institutional Mechanism, " Journal of Law, Medicine & Ethics 43, no. 2, Supp. (2015): available via aslme.org.
3. H. Grabowski, and G. L. R. Mortimer, "Recent Trends in Brand-Name and Generic Drug Competition, " Journal of Medical Economics 17, no. 3 (2013): 207-214.
4. N. Daulaire, A. Bang, G. Tomson, J. N. Kalyango, and O. Cars, "Universal Access to Effective Antimicrobials: An Essential Feature of Global Collective Action against Antimicrobial Resistance, " Journal of Law, Medicine & Ethics 43, no. 2, Supp. (2015): available via aslme.org.
5. R. H. Coase, "The Problem of Social Cost, " Journal of Law and Economics 3, no. 1 (1960): 1-44.
6. E. Kades, "Preserving a Precious Resource: Rationalizing the Use of Antibiotics, " Northwestern University Law Review 99, no. 2 (2005): 611-674.
7. M. K. Outterson, "The Vanishing Public Domain: Antibiotic Resistance, Pharmaceutical Innovation and Global Public Health, " University of Pittsburgh Law Review 67, no. 1 (2005): 67-123.
8. See A. Hollis and Z. Ahmed, "Preserving Antibiotics, Rationally, " New England Journal of Medicine 369, no. 26 (2013): 2474-2476
9. A. D. So, T. A. Shah, S. Roach, Y. L. Chee, and K. E. Nachman, International Agreement to Address the Contribution of Animal Agriculture to Antibiotic Resistance: A One Health Approach," Journal of Law, Medicine & Ethics 43, no. 2, Supp. (2015): available via aslme.org.
10. For examples of potential policies, see: A. Behdinan, S. J. Hoffman, and M. Pearcey, "Some Global Policies for Antibiotic Resistance Depend on Legally Binding and Enforceable Commitments, " Journal of Law, Medicine & Ethics 43, no. 2, Supp. (2015): available via aslme.org.
11. The low number of health workers in some African countries is particularly troubling. See, for example, the WHO African Health Workforce Observatory, available at (last visited May 7, 2015).
12. D. Nga et al., "Antibiotic Sales in Rural and Urban Pharmacies in Northern Vietnam: An Observational Study, " BMC Pharmacology and Toxicology 15, no. 6 (2014), available at (last visited May 15, 2015).
13. K. Outterson, J. H. Powers, G. W. Daniel, and M. B. McClellan, "Repairing the Broken Market for Antibiotic Innovation, " Health Affairs, 34, no. 2 (2015): 277-285
14. Antibiotic Resistance Coalition - Civil Society Declaration on Antibiotic Resistance, available at (last visited May 7, 2015).
15. K. Outterson, "New Business Models for Sustainable Antibiotics, " Centre on Global health Security Working Group Papers, Chatham House (The Royal Institute of International Affairs), Working Groups on Antimicrobial Resistance, Paper 1 (2014): 14-10
16. K. Outterson, T. Pogge, and A. Hollis "Combating Antibiotic Resistance through the Health Impact Fund, " in I. G. Cohen, ed., The Globalization of Health Care (New York/Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2013);
17. and WHO, Research and Development to Meet Health Needs in Developing Countries: Strengthening Global Financing and Coordination, Report of the Consultative Expert Working Group on Research and Development: Financing and Coordination (2012), available at (last visited May 13, 2015).
18. Multilateral Fund for the Implementation of the Montreal Protocol, available at (last visited May 7, 2015) and PAPER 7.
19. E. Ostrom, Governing the Commons: The Evolution of Institutions for Collective Action (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1990).