U.S. Antibiotic Awareness Week (USAAW) kicks off on Monday, November 12! As you prepare for the week, we encourage you to check out the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Be Antibiotics Aware partner toolkit, which contains key messages, social media content, graphics, and more. Additionally, below are specific CDC USAAW activities, along with data and resources focused on improving antibiotic prescribing and use in human healthcare, that you can use and promote during the week.
Monday, November 12 (Veteran’s Day):
- Special edition CDC Safe Healthcare blog, which will feature a story about the successes in antibiotic stewardship program implementation to improve antibiotic use and prescribing for our nation’s veterans.
- CDC resources and data for healthcare providers: CDC’s Online Antibiotic Stewardship Training Course, which up to 8 hours of free continuing education (CE)!
- NEW! Publication that describes drivers of inappropriate antibiotic prescribing and potential interventions to improve outpatient antibiotic use. (Publishing on Monday, November 12th)
- CDC resources and data for patients and their families:
- “The Right Tool” 15-second Public Service Announcement
- “Antibiotics Aren’t Always the Answer” animated educational video
- Virus or Bacteria: What’s Got You Sick? chart
Tuesday, November 13:
- 5 Ways Pharmacists Can Be Antibiotics Aware
- Leading experts will discuss pharmacists’ roles in improving antibiotic prescribing and use in hospital settings.
- FREE webinar with CE at 1 pm EST, hosted by CDC in collaboration with Health Resources and Services Administration’s (HRSA’s) Federal Office of Rural Health Policy, the Society of Infectious Disease Pharmacists, and the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists
- CDC resources and data for inpatient healthcare providers:
Wednesday, November 14:
- CDC resources and data for healthcare providers who provide care for older adults:
- NEW brochure! Do You Need Antibiotics? Information about antibiotics for nursing home residents and their families
- NEW customizable commitment poster for facilities! A Commitment to Our Residents About Antibiotics
- Outpatient Antibiotic Prescribing Among Older Adults in the United States, 2011 to 2014, Journal of the American Geriatrics Society
- Core Elements of Antibiotic Stewardship for Nursing Homes
Thursday, November 15:
- Join CDC for the global #AntibioticResistance Twitter Storm from 9-10 am EST.
- Follow @CDCgov on Twitter and tweet throughout the hour to help spread the word about antibiotic resistance and improving antibiotic prescribing and use.
- Official hashtag: #AntibioticResistance
- Tweet this message at 9 am EST to kick-off the Twitter Storm: 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 guide for antibiotic stewardship programs in resource-limited settings: CDC’s Core Elements of Human Antibiotic Stewardship Programs in Resource-Limited Settings
Friday, November 16:
- CDC data and resources for outpatient healthcare providers:
Join this GovD e-mail blast listserv to get the latest from CDC. Also, throughout USAAW, be sure to:
- Follow CDC on Facebook, Twitter (@CDCgov and @CDC_NCEZID), Instagram, and LinkedIn to join the conversation around improving antibiotic prescribing and use #USAAW18 for the observance week and #BeAntibioticsAware for the campaign.
- Check out CDC’s Safe Healthcare Blog where we’ll be featuring various stories from partners about improving antibiotic prescribing and use.
