U.S. Antibiotic Awareness Week is November 18 through November 24, 2019. This is an annual one-week observance to raise awareness of the importance of appropriate antibiotic use to combat the threat of antibiotic resistance. The CDC hosts Be Antibiotics Aware, an educational effort to complement this awareness week and the World Health Organization in support of a global antibiotic awareness campaign.
The Antibiotic Stewardship Program (ASP) at Cooper will host a number of educational events on and off campus. We look forward to everyone’s involvement!
How you can be antibiotics aware:
- Follow clinical guidelines to prescribe the right antibiotic at the right dose for the right duration at the right time.
- Shorten the duration of antibiotic therapy to the minimum effective duration.
- Only prescribe antibiotics when they are needed. You can do harm by prescribing antibiotics that aren’t needed.
- When telling your patients why they don’t need antibiotics for a viral infection be sure to give them a plan: What to do to feel better and when to seek care again if they don’t feel better. (Download the Viral Rx Pad.)
- Talk to your patients and their families about possible harms from antibiotics, such as allergic reactions, C. difficile, and antibiotic-resistant infections.
- Perform hand hygiene and follow infection prevention measures with every patient.
- When unsure about the use of an antibiotic, contact your ASP team at 100-2667 or 100-9791, Monday through Friday during normal business hours, or asp@cooperhealth.edu.
Cooper University Health Care Antibiotic Awareness Week Events:
Wednesday, November 20:
2:20 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Facebook Live event to discuss the importance of preventing antimicrobial resistance and over-prescribing of antibiotics for viral infections.
Thursday, November 21:
Noon: ASP presents at Medicine Grand Rounds
2:30 p.m.: ASP visits Cinnaminson Urgent Care Center
Friday, November 22:
ASP visits Cooper Ambulatory Clinics in Camden
If you have any questions or suggestions for future events, please email asp@cooperhealth.edu
Happy AA Week!
Your Antibiotic Stewards: Alex Hanretty, PharmD; Lucia Rose, PharmD; and Dana Byrne, MD.
Resources:
https://www.cdc.gov/antibiotic-use/week/index.html