Obama ##care is considering changing the approval process for antibiotics . Helen Boucher : Antibiotics also are n't as profitable as other drugs , such as those for chronic conditions like heart disease or diabetes , which patients often take for years . For patients with life - threatening infections , access to new drugs is vital . She says by limiting their use to the sickest of the sick , we can reduce risks of new drugs . Boucher : We need to encourage more people to do antibiotic research and development .
Obama ##care is considering changing the approval process for antibiotics . Helen Boucher : For patients with life - threatening infections , access to new drugs is vital . She says by limiting their use to the sickest of the sick , we can reduce risks of new drugs . Boucher : We need to encourage more people to do antibiotic research and development .