Charley John, Director, Healthcare Policy & Strategy, Walgreen Co. 

What do you see as the biggest challenges facing the AMR space into 2022?

To not let fatigue from the current crisis interrupt much needed work on this looming crisis. We should only be reinvigorated to act now to prevent a future crisis.

If you could wave a magic wand, what would you like to see occur in the coming year to further combat AMR?

Establish an operation warp speed-style group(or whatever wording) to build out strategies and deliverables – an all resources on deck and an all hands on deck approach is needed right now. An approach like this can bring together the right mix to at once address the most impactful areas – sustainable market for products, stewardship, surveillance, and research ·

What would you like to highlight about your work/your organization for this coming year?

Pharmacy can play an integral role. They are the drug experts and encounter much of this on the frontlines - 60% of all antibiotic expenditures in the United States occur in the outpatient setting and it is estimated that up to 30% of outpatient antibiotic prescriptions may be inappropriate. Pharmacists can help turn these numbers around. We need the policy landscape to enable them to execute on this front.