AOA partners with CDC to promote antibiotic stewardship

To help raise awareness of the threat of antibiotic resistance and the importance of appropriate antibiotic prescribing and use, the AOA has partnered with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for ‪Get Smart Week 2015, held Nov. 16-22.

Join the effort by educating your colleagues, friends and patients. Download resources from the CDC website.

According to the CDC, studies show that 30-50% of antibiotics prescribed in hospitals are unnecessary or inappropriate, contributing to challenges posed by antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

Improving prescribing practices can not only reduce the rates of antibiotic resistance, but can also improve individual patient outcomes and reduce health care costs.

The AOA recently adopted policy calling for osteopathic physicians to adopt the principles of antibiotic stewardship by prescribing antibiotics only when they are necessary to treat and prevent disease.