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Preferred term

drug resistance  

Definition

  • Drug resistance refers to the ability of a microorganism, such as a bacterium, virus, fungus, or parasite, to resist an antimicrobial medicine that had previously been effective against it. Drug resistance develops as a result of the use of antimicrobials and can be accelerated by the improper use of antimicrobials, such as failing to complete a prescribed course of treatment or the use of antimicrobials against diseases for which they are known to be ineffective (for example, using antibiotics to treat a virus). [Source: Encyclopedia of Crisis Management; Drug Resistance]

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https://concepts.sagepub.com/social-science/concept/drug_resistance

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