Last year, Nebraska’s Governor Pete Ricketts signed a proclamation declaring Antibiotic Awareness Week in Nebraska, and he again signed a proclamation this year, declaring November 12-18 Antibiotic Awareness Week in our state. Once again, Dr. Maureen Tierney, leader of Nebraska’s Healthcare Associated Infections Program, championed the drafting of the proclamation and received support from the Governor for this observance.
Formerly known as Get Smart About Antibiotic Week, US Antibiotic Awareness Week is an annual observance designated by the CDC to bring awareness to healthcare professionals and the public on the threat of antibiotic resistance and the importance of using antibiotic appropriately.
The CDC has prepared a partner toolkit for institutions that want to participate in this event. The toolkit contains key messages, social media content (#AntibioticResistance, #USAAW18, #BeAntibioticsAware), graphics and more. Below is a sample of events that will be promoted during each day of the 2018 Antibiotic Awareness Week.
Monday, November 12
- Special edition of the CDC Safe Healthcare Blog which will feature a story on successful implementation of antimicrobial stewardship program for veterans
- Publication of an article that describes drivers of inappropriate antibiotic prescribing and potential interventions
Tuesday, November 13
- Free webinar with CE titled 5 Ways Pharmacists Can Be Antibiotic Aware at 12 pm CST where experts will discuss the roles of pharmacists in improving antibiotic prescribing in hospital settings (registration required)
- Free webinar with CME Promoting Behavior Change Around Antibiotic Prescribing at 11am CST which will focus on changing the culture of antibiotic prescribing (registration required)
- 2017 data on Percentage of Hospitals Meeting all 7 Core Elements of Hospital Antibiotic Stewardship Programs by State
Wednesday, November 14
- New brochure on Do You Need Antibiotics? Information about antibiotics for nursing home residents and their families
- New customizable commitment poster for long-term care facilities, A Commitment to Our Residents About Antibiotics
- Members of the Nebraska HAI team will be at the Westroads Mall in Omaha NE from 9:30 am to 6 pm with an informational display (across form the food court). Stop by the display to chat about Antibiotic Resistance and Stewardship!
Thursday, November 15
- Kick-off of a global Twitter storm from 8am-9am CST with the hashtag #AntibioticResistance and the message “Antibiotic resistance is one of the most urgent global health threats. Everyone has a role to play in improving antibiotic use to help fight #AntibioticResistance”
- New antimicrobial stewardship core elements for resource-limited settings
Friday, November 16
- New data on 2016 Outpatient Antibiotic Prescription Rates by State
- New publication on Antibiotic Prescriptions Associated with Dental-Related Emergency Department Visits
- A patient pamphlet on Do You Need Antibiotics From Your Dentist?
During this week, also look for blogposts from Nebraska ASAP and UNMC Division of Infectious Diseases on antibiotic stewardship and appropriate antibiotic prescribing. We are excited for this year’s events and we hope you will participate in this important patient safety and public health initiative.
Content provided by Phil Chung PharmD and originally posted to the Nebraska ASAP website on November 6, 2018.