Psychotropic drugs have long been known to possess antimicrobial activity against several groups of microorganisms. Although this property has been extensively studied both alone and when combined with antibiotics against antimicrobial-resistant bacterial and fungal species, relatively little attention has been given to their ability to contribute to the emergence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). We have recently reported the acquisition of multidrug resistance in Escherichia coli after exposure to gut-relevant concentrations of the antipsychotic quetiapine. Considering these observations, this review attempts to establish if a relationship between psychotropics and AMR in microorganisms has been defined in the scientific literature.
Keywords: antimicrobial resistance; antimicrobial stewardship; mental health; psychotropic drug.