Substandard antibiotics can exacerbate antimicrobial resistance (AMR), a global health crisis in which widely used antibiotics are becoming ineffective against the microbes they previously killed. AMR knows no boundaries, and resistance can spread across borders and countries. A lack of robust quality control standards and testing contribute to the proliferation of poor-quality antibiotics.
USP provides standards for identity, strength, quality, and purity that can assist manufacturers and national control laboratories testing these essential medicines. Furthermore, USP supports initiatives that encourage development of new antimicrobial drugs. Assuring the quality of medicines is essential for new drugs to work as effectively and for as long as possible.
