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Antimicrobial Stewardship in Outpatient Settings
Approximately 60% of U.S. antibiotic expenditures are related to care received in outpatient settings. Approximately half of outpatient antibiotic prescribing might be inappropriate, including antibiotic selection, dosing, or duration, in addition to unnecessary antibiotic prescribing. At least 28% of outpatient antibiotic prescriptions in the United States are unnecessary. It is essential for health care professionals in outpatient settings to adopt antimicrobial stewardship practices to combat this issue, ensuring that antibiotics are prescribed judiciously and only when necessary.
IDPH has funded Northwestern Medicine to develop antimicrobial stewardship resources for outpatient health care settings.
IDPH has funded The Hektoen Institute of Medicine to offer antimicrobial stewardship support to outpatient health care facilities through the Precious Drugs and Scary Bugs (PDSB) Campaign. This campaign promotes judicious antibiotic use by engaging outpatient providers to:
- Increase knowledge related to antibiotic resistance and appropriate prescribing.
- Provide resources to support health care providers in improving antibiotic prescribing.
- Improve coordination and exchange of antibiotic stewardship best practices among stakeholders.
Resources
- Antibiotic Stewardship Toolkit for Outpatient Providers
- Public Commitment Poster
- Core Elements of Outpatient Antibiotic Stewardship
- Clinician Checklist for Outpatient Antibiotic Stewardship
- Facility Checklist for Outpatient Antibiotic Stewardship Programs
- Implementation Resources for Outpatient Facilities
- Antibiotic Stewardship Resource Bundle
- Treatment Recommendations for Common Illnesses and Penicillin Allergy
- Educational Resources for Healthcare Professionals
- Patient Resources and Education
