It doesn't have to be that way, and waiting around for "someone else to handle it" will likely lead to a Tragedy of the Commons.

Call your representatives [US: 0,1] or regional government representative (I just called my senator, and on hold for house rep now), tell them we need an emergency crash program to develop new, tightly-regulated antibiotics so that infection doesn't become the leading cause of deaths in 2025. Because it takes years and billions to develop new antibiotics, this is something companies will not pursue on their own initiative. If not, it'll be a return to the 19th century. Good luck with that.

[0] http://www.house.gov/representatives/find/

[1] http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_c...