The term is currently used to designate either a place or a philosophy of care for persons in the last stages of life and their families. For decades there have been hospices in England, free-standing facilities unaffiliated with hospitals and autonomous in terms of professional procedures.
Antimicrobial resistance refers to the resistance of a microbial organism to a drug or an agent that was previously effective in eliminating the organism or checking its growth and multiplication. Drug resistant strains generally evolve over a period of time in nature.
This article is about pathogen resistance to the effects of drugs. For human resistance to the effects of drugs, see Drug tolerance. Drug resistance is the reduction in effectiveness of a drug such as an antimicrobial, anthelmintic or an antineoplastic in curing a disease or condition. The term is used in the context of resistance that pathogens or cancers have acquired, that is, resistance has evolved.