Get Smart About Antibiotics Week (Get Smart Week) is a national, annual observance intended to engage relevant stakeholders around antibiotic stewardship in the outpatient, inpatient and animal health settings. This year, Get Smart Week will be observed November 14-20.
For additional information about Get Smart Week, including the Get Smart Toolkit, visit www.cdc.gov/getsmart
Be sure to join us for the first program in this two-part antimicrobial stewardship series focusing on background and general concepts driving the need for antimicrobial stewardship and how to get started developing a stewardship program in various healthcare settings. For more information on this event and to register, visit our Web site.
Our Efforts: Antibiotic Stewardship
The single most important action to slow the development and spread of antibiotic-resistant infections is for us – every one of us – to improve the way antibiotics are prescribed and used. We are working within our region to help slow the emergence of bacterial resistance and prevent the spread of resistant infections through resource sharing, information and education on the principles of antimicrobial stewardship. We are partnering with practitioners, pharmacists, system leadership as well as consumers of care. Antibiotics are a precious resource and preserving their usefulness will require cooperation and engagement by all.
On October 20, we hosted a WebEx titled, United States Outpatient Antibiotic Prescribing and Goal Setting. The presenter, Katherine Fleming-Dutra, M.D., a medical epidemiologist with CDC’s Office of Antibiotic Stewardship shared findings related to unnecessary prescriptions being given and solutions for improvement. To access her slides and the recording, visit our Web site. Also, visit our Web site to join our Learning and Action Network and access to information and resources on this important topic.