Responsible AntibioticsManufacturing Platform (RAMP) Framework

Antibiotic pollution from manufacturing is a significant driver of antibiotic resistance (AMR), primarily due to improper waste management and disposal. The lack of systematic monitoring across public and industry sectors makes it difficult to attribute environmental concentrations to individual points of emission. Responsible manufacturing aims to prevent exposure of bacteria to selective concentrations of antibiotics. Initiatives like the AMR Industry Alliance standard and the British Standards Institute certification are crucial steps in this direction. However, challenges remain in science and methodology, leading to insufficient cooperation among stakeholders and a risk of locking-in standards that do not adequately address environmental issues in the long term. Universal quality requirements for meaningful standards should be scientifically fit for purpose, technically achievable, verifiable, and demand-driven. The voluntary industry standard points towards the need for adequate environmental management practice, including liquid and solid waste management. Direct concentration measurements have limitations, such as batch-based volume of effluents and costly sampling and lab-analysis.