AOA represented at White House health forum on antibiotic stewardship

Today the American Osteopathic Association joined the Department of Health and Human Services at the White House health forum on antibiotic stewardship. The event brought together key constituencies involved in antibiotic stewardship activities to ensure the responsible use of antibiotics nationwide.

Robert Orenstein, DO, the editor-in-chief of The Journal of the American Osteopathic Association, was invited to attend the White House event on behalf of the American Osteopathic Association.

“Educating physicians, and the public, about the appropriate use and misuse of antibiotics is a public health imperative,” says Dr. Orenstein, an infectious diseases expert practicing at the Mayo Clinic in Arizona. “We need to build systems that target antimicrobials to the infecting agents and limit their use.”

During the event, the AOA made three commitments to help combat misuse of antibiotics:

• To engage DOs in discussion about recommendations for antibiotic use.
• To provide continuing medical education focused on antibiotic stewardship.
• To provide easy-to-understand patient educational materials highlighting the importance of maintaining standards for prescribing antibiotics.