From: helen real [pphp@fone.net]
Sent: Wednesday, January 10, 2001 4:04 PM
To: EXECSEC
Subject: National Antibiotic-Use Reporting System

As I am confident you thoroughly know, the overuse of antibiotics and their incorrect use is slowly diminishing, if not eliminating, the effectiveness of these drugs for treating infectious diseases in humans.
 
It is not only the misuse of antibiotics in human medicine, but also the overuse of antibiotics in agriculture, that are contributing to the rise in drug-resistant microorganisms.
 
Very little data are available on the quantity of antibiotics used in the United States. These data are necessary for scientists to explore the links between antibiotic use and the development of drug resistance and for developing rational strategies to curb use.
 
The Union of Concerned Scientists estimated the annual use of antibiotics, and  reports a staggering 24.6 million pounds of antibiotic drugs are fed to healthy cows, pigs , and chickens. This is roughly 70% of all antibiotic drugs used in the U.S. 
 
UCS admits that while their estimates are good, they are not good enough. Government-guaranteed information on U.S. antibiotic use is necessary for creating effective solutions for reducing antibiotic use.
 
The FDA now needs to take positive steps to establish a system for collecting basic date on antibiotic use in the United States, a system that shows human use, agricultural use, and includes the class, indication, dosage, and treatment period.
 
It is time for the FDA to DO something definitive in this regard. Please let's hear that you are doing so.
 
Helen Real
24306 Road T
Dolores    CO  81322-9108
Fax/phone: 970-882-4757
E-mail: pphp@fone.net