SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 25
(By Senator Bailey)
Urging West Virginia's health care professionals and managed care
plans in the state to adopt the recommendations of the Center
for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Academy of
Pediatrics regarding judicious use of antibiotics.
Whereas, Antibiotic-resistant infections are more likely to
produce adverse health outcomes and are more costly to treat than
susceptible infections; and
Whereas, Antibiotic resistance is caused by the overuse of
antibiotics in general and overuse of selected agents in
particular; and
Whereas, Over the past five years the rate of penicillin
resistance increased by more than three hundred percent and the
rate of cefotaxime resistance increased by more than one thousand
percent; and
Whereas, Patients infected with antibiotic-resistant strains
of bacteria may require hospitalization and may be subject to an
increased rate of death; and
Whereas, Growing antibiotic resistance leads to increased
pharmaceutical costs through inappropriate prescriptions for
antibiotic agents and increased total health care costs through additional hospitalization and other forms of medical care required
in the treatment of resistant strains of bacteria; and
Whereas, The Center for Disease Control and Prevention and the
American Academy of Pediatrics have developed recommendations for
health care professionals regarding the best practices for the
judicious use of antibiotics; therefore, be it
Resolved by the Senate:
That the Senate hereby urges all health care professionals and
managed care plans operating in West Virginia to adopt the
recommendations of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention
and the American Academy of Pediatrics regarding judicious use of
antibiotics in their practices and formularies; and, be it
Further Resolved, That the Clerk is hereby directed to forward
a copy of this resolution to the Secretary of the Department of
Health and Human Resources, the State Medical Association and the
Health Care Association.