Encouraging AWaRe-ness and discouraging inappropriate antibiotic use—the new 2019 Essential Medicines List becomes a global antibiotic stewardship tool

WHO's Essential Medicines List (EML) in 2017 provided guidance on antibiotic use for common clinical infections and classified the included antibiotics into Access, Watch, and Reserve (AWaRe) groups. Antibiotics in the Access and Watch groups were selected on the basis of their indication as first-choice or second-choice treatments, spectrum of activity, and potential for inducing antimicrobial resistance, whereas Reserve antibiotics were selected as last-resource treatments for multidrug-resistant infections.