Antibiotic Stewardship Programs for Responsible Antibiotic Use

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What is antimicrobial stewardship?

The aim of the Commission’s work on antimicrobial stewardship is to improve the safe and appropriate use of antimicrobials, reduce patient harm and prevent and contain antimicrobial resistance in Australia. Inappropriate use, and overuse, of antimicrobials contributes to an increase in resistant bacteria and may result in patient harm.

What are antibiotic stewardship programs?

That means prescribing the right drug at the right dose at the right time for the right duration. Initiatives dedicated to improving antibiotic use are commonly referred to as antibiotic stewardship programs (ASPs).

What is the antimicrobial stewardship clinical care standard?

The Antimicrobial Stewardship Clinical Care Standard and supporting resources aim to ensure a consistent approach to optimal treatment of patients with a bacterial infection. The National Antimicrobial Prescribing Survey is a web-based auditing tool and antimicrobial survey program that is conducted annually.

Who can participate in an antimicrobial stewardship program?

Increasingly, nurses, midwives, infection control practitioners, pharmacists, and doctors who are not necessarily ID physicians but who have additional training in AMS are able to participate very efectively in these teams (see Chapter 2: ‘Establishing and sustaining an antimicrobial stewardship program’).

Why is antibiotic stewardship important?

Optimizing the use of antibiotics is critical to effectively treat infections, protect patients from harms caused by unnecessary antibiotic use, and combat antibiotic resistance. Antibiotic Stewardship Programs (ASPs) can help clinicians improve clinical outcomes and minimize harms by improving antibiotic prescribing ( 2 , 7 ).

What Is Antibiotic Stewardship Programs

1. https://www.safetyandquality.gov.au/our-work/antimicrobial-stewardship
2. https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/articles/2019/02/14/what-is-antibiotic-stewardship-and-how-does-it-work
3. https://www.cdc.gov/antibiotic-use/core-elements/index.html
4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK572068/
5. https://cdn.who.int/media/docs/default-source/searo/essential-medicines/presentation-introduction-to-antimicrobial-stewardship-and-principles-of-antimicrobial-prescribing.pdf?sfvrsn=59bab377_1
6. https://www.cec.health.nsw.gov.au/keep-patients-safe/medication-safety/antimicrobial-stewardship
7. https://www.amr.gov.au/what-you-can-do/hospitals/antimicrobial-stewardship

Antibiotic Stewardship Programs Information

1. https://www1.racgp.org.au/ajgp/2022/january-february/antibiotic-stewardship-primary-care-strategies
2. https://www.ncas-australia.org/fundamentals-of-ams