The invention provides an antimicrobial phosphate glass composition including, in weight percent based on oxide: greater than 45 to 90 of P.sub.2O.sub.5, 0 to 60 of B.sub.2O.sub.3, 0 to 40 of SiO.sub.2, 0 to 20 weight percent of Al.sub.2O.sub.3, 0 to 30 of SO.sub.3, 0 to 0.1 of Li.sub.2O, 0 to 0.1 of Na.sub.2O, 0 to 0.1 of K.sub.2O, 0 to 40 of CaO, 0 to 40 of MgO, 0 to 15 of SrO, 0 to 40 of BaO, 0 to 40 of ZnO, 0 to 5 of Ag.sub.2O, 0 to 15 of CuO, 0 to 10 of Cr.sub.2O.sub.3, 0 to 10 of I--, 0 to 10 of TeO.sub.2, 0 to 10 of GeO.sub.2, 0 to 10 of TiO.sub.2, 0 to 10 of ZrO.sub.2, 0 to 10 of La.sub.2O.sub.3, 0 to 5 of Nb.sub.2O.sub.3, 0 to 5 of CeO.sub.2, 0 to 5 of Fe.sub.2O.sub.3, 0 to 5 of WO.sub.3, 0 to 5 of Bi.sub.2O.sub.3, and 0 to 5 of MoO.sub.3.