Health Dictionary Find a Doctor

Drug of last resort


Overview

Overview

Drugs of last resort are drugs only used when all other options are exhausted. Many of the best known are antibiotics, antivirals, or chemotherapy agents. In those cases, they have the most potent antibiotic, antiviral, or anticancer effects, and/or are drugs for which no (or very few) resistant strains are known. They are usually withheld from administration to prevent the development of resistance or due to unpleasant side effects.

Despite the fact that most of the notable drugs of last resort are antibiotics or antivirals, other drugs are sometimes considered drugs of last resort, such as cisapride.[1]

Examples

Examples

See also

See also


References

References


Template:WH Template:WS

Looking for the patient version?

Back to the patient-friendly article

© 2026 MyEClinic – IFTM Institut für Telematik in der Medizin GmbH