Jordan's Food and Drug Administration (JFDA) launched a World Health Organization (WHO) backed training program on Tuesday to strengthen pharmacists’ role in fighting antimicrobial resistance (AMR).

JFDA Director General Rana Obeidat and WHO Representative in Jordan Iman Shanqiti inaugurated the program.

Obeidat said JFDA is working within a comprehensive national framework to address AMR by enforcing a national action plan and pharmaceutical regulations, as well as adopting internationally recognized scientific guidelines, including the WHO’s AWaRe (Access, Watch, Reserve) classification tool for antibiotics.

She said the JFDA is committed to improving prescribing and dispensing practices, raising public awareness, and encouraging evidence-based antibiotic use among healthcare providers and patients.

The training program includes a series of specialized sessions covering the global and national impact of antimicrobial resistance, action plans, monitoring and evaluation mechanisms, regulatory responses, and strategies for empowering pharmacists as agents of change.

Targeting pharmacists working in community pharmacies, the program will be delivered to four groups over three weeks, aiming to deepen participants' understanding of antimicrobial resistance and equipping them with practical tools to implement antibiotic stewardship principles, while ensuring consistent public awareness messaging across the sector.