Industry Says Voluntary Plan to Curb Antibiotic Pollution Is Working, but Critics Want Regulation

A review of:

Gilbert, Natasha. “Industry Says Voluntary Plan to Curb Antibiotic Pollution Is Working, but Critics Want Regulation.” Science, 24 Jan. 2020, www.sciencemag.org/news/2020/01/industry-says-voluntary-plan-curb-antibiotic-pollution-working-critics-want-regulation.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) of bacteria to antibiotics has become an increasingly larger issue both from both the overuse of antibiotics as well as the improper disposal of drugs. Studies later uncovered that many antibiotic manufacturing facilities are leaking the antibiotic compounds into the environment, often via wastewater, and making the problem even worse. In response to this, over 100 drug companies and industry associations formed the AMR to police manufacturing discharges and to curb such leaks. The alliance has since developed an industry framework for improving manufacturing, and set voluntary targets for safe levels of antibiotics in the environment. While 82% of alliance members report meeting the standards either wholly or in part, some critics dislike the lack of transparency in production chains, and many are displeased that the alliance is not publicly releasing key data for public oversight. In addition, many environmentalists criticize the alliance for setting targets only for surface waters, like rivers and streams, instead of all wastewater. “It’s much easier to achieve targets applied to surface water, but it doesn’t mean [those targets are] protective,” says Joakim Larsson, an environmental pharmacologist. Others acknowledge that the actions of the alliance are a start, but claim that legally enforceable regulations are needed. Environmental scientist Alistair Boxall states that despite such concerns, the alliance is making a difference and encouraging other companies to revamp their processes.

AMR stands to pose a major threat to public health, as evolved bacteria becomes increasingly difficult to fight with antibiotics. “We need to go beyond industry self-regulation initiatives. There is an urgent need to establish a strong legislative framework to increase transparency and improve consistency throughout the supply chain.” says a spokesperson from Health Care Without Harm (HCWH) group.

Natasha Gilbert’s article was informative and very well written. She addressed both sides of the argument equally, allowing the reader to establish their own opinions on the issue at hand. However, her article would have been more effective if she had named several known drug companies that are members of the alliance, and discussed methods for managing wastewater in more detail. In my opinion, her article did not focus as much on the danger of AMR as it could have, which greatly decreased the impact of the article.