Antibiotic Stewardship News Posts

Reducing Antipsychotic Medication Use: The Resident Prioritization Tool Can Help Identify Where to Start
Great Plains Quality Innovation Network recently updated its Antipsychotic Reduction Resident Prioritization Tool. This tool is designed to assist an interdisciplinary team to identify where to begin a gradual dose reduction of antipsychotic medications and which...

National Drug Take Back Day | April 30, 2022
During the COVID-19 health crisis, it's more important than ever to remove the risk and keep your loved ones safe. Unused prescription drugs can be dangerous, especially for children, teens and even pets. Misused medications can lead to accidental overdose or...

Access the UPDATED CDC Antibiotic Resistance Website
The CDC has recently updated its Antibiotic Resistance Website to better engage and share information on antibiotic resistance (AR) in the United States and around the world. We all have a role to play—from travelers, animal owners, and care givers to patients and...

Opioids: Fill with Care | Safety Considerations When Using Opioids
Submitted by: Laura Anderson, Assistant Director of the Behavioral Health Division, ND Department of Human Services We have all heard about the opioid crisis and the impact it is having on our family, friends, businesses and communities. Every aspect of the opioid...

Antibiotics, Immunizations and Sepsis: Connecting the Dots | Great Plains QIN Webinar and Resources
What do antibiotics, immunizations and sepsis have in common and why is it important to “Connect the Dots”? Antibiotics - According to the World Health Organization, antimicrobial resistance is one of the top 10 global public health threats¹ facing humanity. Every...

Identifying Higher-Volume Antibiotic Outpatient Prescribers Using Publicly Available Data
Peer comparison audit and feedback could result in greater antibiotic prescribing improvements Antibiotic prescribing can result in side effects and contribute to antibiotic resistance, an urgent public health threat. In a recently released MMWR article, Identifying...

Be Antibiotics Aware: Protect your Patients
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is urging healthcare professionals to prescribe antibiotics only when necessary to help fight antibiotic resistance and the spread of superbugs and to protect their patients from antibiotic-related adverse drug...

Connecting the Dots: Antibiotics, Immunizations and Sepsis
Hats, mittens, cough drops and Kleenex become common shopping list items as the winter season approaches. Protection against the cold and supplies to fight a cold seem to be connected. Infections are a growing health concern and the Great Plains Quality Innovation...

CDC COCA Call: What Clinicians, Pharmacists and Public Health Partners Need to Know about Antibiotic Prescribing and COVID-19 | November 18
Thursday, November 18, 2021 | 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM CT The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has published several studies characterizing antibiotic prescribing during the COVID-19 pandemic in outpatient, nursing home, and hospital settings. Findings from...

C. diff is Estimated to Cause Almost a Half a Million Infections In the U.S. Each Year
Clostridioides difficile (C. diff) is a germ that causes diarrhea and inflammation of the colon. The CDC estimates C. diff impacts almost half a million people in the United States each year and an estimated 29,300 deaths. C. diff is a bacteria spread by microscopic...