The Medical Council has welcomed the publication of the third One Health National Action Plan to address Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) 2026-2030, known as iNAP3.

CEO of the Medical Council, Dr Maria O’Kane, said increasing awareness of AMR is critical to protecting patients.

“According to the World Health Organisation, antimicrobial resistance is one of the top ten global threats to human health,” said Dr O’Kane. “Continued planning and action against AMR will be essential for patient safety into the future, and we welcome iNAP3 as an important step forward.” 

“For doctors, reducing AMR means ensuring that antibiotic medicines are only prescribed and administered when they are genuinely needed. Antimicrobial medicines should only be used where they are required to treat serious infections.

“For patients, not every illness requires an antibiotic, and your doctor will advise you on the most effective treatment. Avoiding unnecessary antibiotics helps protect their effectiveness for the future.”

Earlier this week, the Minister for Health, Jennifer Carroll MacNeill and Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon launched iNAP3.

According to the Department of Health, building “on the strong foundations” laid under iNAP1 (2017-2020) and iNAP2 (2021-2025), iNAP3 (2026-2030) “reinforces Ireland’s commitment” to tackling the growing global threat of AMR through a ;One Health approach; – recognising the interconnection between human health, animal health and the environment.

“This [AMR] threat requires a multisectoral approach across human, animal, and environment health to preserve the effectiveness of antimicrobials for future generations,” said the Health Minister.

“With this National Action Plan, iNAP3, we have demonstrated that Ireland is fully committed to a collective approach to combating antimicrobial resistance. However, its success will depend on continued commitment from every sector and from each one of us.

“Since the publication of our first iNAP plan in 2017, significant progress has been made in tackling antimicrobial resistance in the health sector, and I would like to thank all healthcare workers for their efforts in this regard.”

Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly has today published a research paper entitled Changing Behaviour: Reducing Unnecessary Antibiotic Prescribing.

The systematic review and meta-analysis, conducted by the strategic research and evaluation unit in the Department of Health, in conjunction with the University of Limerick, shows how behaviour change interventions reduced antibiotic prescribing by 21 per cent.

It evaluated international evidence across 22 international controlled trials and 23,000 patient consultations, to provide estimates of the overall effect of behaviour change interventions seeking to reduce unnecessary prescribing.

The finding of intervention effectiveness holds across geography (Europe versus North America), publication year (studies published up to and including 2010, relative to the subsequent decade), and intervention target group (practitioner and patient versus practitioner alone). The finding also holds after allowing for possible risk of bias and after undertaking sensitivity analyses.

The paper will help to inform the Department’s ongoing work on antimicrobial resistance (AMR), which occurs when bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites no longer respond to antimicrobial medicines.

AMR is classified by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as one of the top 10 threats to public health. It poses a significant threat to the health service through reduced treatment options for infections, while also imposing a large financial burden on the State.

AMR has previously been estimated to cost the Irish health service at least €12 million annually and to account for an estimated 215 attributable deaths in a year.

Promoting AMR research is a strategic objective of the WHO Global Action Plan 2015 and Ireland’s second One Health Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance 2021-2025 (iNAP2).

Interim Chief Medical Officer, Prof Mary Horgan, said: “This results in this paper indicate that behaviour change interventions reduced antibiotic prescribing by 21 per cent across 22 studies and 23,000 patient consultations.

“Tackling AMR is a complex cross-sectoral issue, but this research provides valuable evidence of the important role of prescribers, showing how well-designed education and communication training for general practitioners (GPs), the use of decision support tools and of delayed prescribing practices by GPs can reduce unnecessary antibiotic use.”

Chief Nursing Officer Ms Rachel Kenna said: “Research on AMR is an important strategic objective in Ireland’s second One Health Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance (iNAP2).

“As we prepare for the development of the next one health action plan, this paper adds to the growing body of data that will help to ensure that Ireland’s strategy is based on the best international evidence available.” 

Minister Donnelly said: “We know that behavioural science plays a critical role in addressing the threat of AMR by reducing unnecessary prescribing, and the paper I’m publishing today provides useful insights to assist Ireland’s work in tackling this significant public health risk.

“To protect our population, and our health service, we must ensure that antibiotics are only prescribed when necessary and appropriate to minimise resistance and to ensure that patients can continue to access them when they really need them.”

A copy of Changing Behaviour: Reducing Unnecessary Antibiotic Prescribing. Systematic Review and Meta-analysis can be viewed here – https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/63c7e-changing-behaviour-reducing-unnecessary-antibiotic-prescribing-a-systematic-review-and-meta-analysis/