U.S. Antibiotic Awareness Week 2021 is here!

Minnesota Department of Health sent this bulletin at 11/18/2021 07:30 AM CST
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U.S. Antibiotic Awareness Week Starts Today!

Celebrate and Educate with Minnesota Department of Health and our Stewardship Partners

U.S. Antibiotic Awareness Week is observed annually during November 18–24 to bring attention to the critical role antibiotics play in human health, environmental health, animal health, and beyond. Antibiotic resistance represents one of the most urgent threats to the public’s health today. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that more than 2.8 million antibiotic resistant infections occur in the U.S. each year, and more than 35,000 of those lead to death. We ALL share responsibility for doing our part to ensure that antibiotics remain useful for future generations. That means prescribing antibiotics appropriately, educating patients on their treatment course and how to dispose of unused medications, and asking questions of our physicians and veterinarians when we or our animals are prescribed antibiotics.

Throughout the week, Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) will share stories of individuals who, through their daily lives or their work, have been impacted by antibiotic use and resistance. If you have a story to share, please let us know at Health.Stewardship@state.mn.us.

Remember to spread the word by sharing #USAAW21 resources and content on social media, within your organization, and with external partners through email.

Webinar Offerings during U.S. Antibiotic Awareness Week

What Clinicians, Pharmacists, and Public Health Partners Need to Know About Antibiotic Prescribing and COVID-19

Health Care Antibiotic Use and Stewardship Updates: Using Data for Action in Minnesota

  • In this webinar, Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) epidemiologists and health care partners will provide national and state updates on antibiotic use and stewardship programs, discuss the impact of COVID-19 on antibiotic use, and highlight opportunities to use data in 2022 to improve the use of specific antibiotic drugs and track progress over time.
  • Wednesday, November 24, 2021, 12–1 p.m. CT
  • MDH Webex registration: Antibiotic Use and Stewardship Updates: Using Data for Action in Minnesota
  • The webinar will be recorded and archived on the MDH One Health Antibiotic Stewardship webpage.

Highlighted Antibiotic Stewardship Resources

CDC: Implementation resources for hospitals. Resources for hospitals to implement the seven core elements of antibiotic stewardship, including a new hospital discharge form to address stewardship during transitions of care.

CDC: Implementation of antibiotic stewardship core elements at small and critical access hospitals. Resources for small hospitals to implement the seven core elements of antibiotic stewardship.

CDC: Implementation resources for outpatient facilities. Resources for implementation of the four core elements of antibiotic stewardship in outpatient settings, including a new resource for health care payers.

CDC: Implementation resources for nursing homes. Resources for nursing homes to implement the seven core elements of antibiotic stewardship, including new reference for consultant pharmacists and a link to a new Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) toolkit.

MDH: Prescribing Antibiotics in Outpatient Settings during the COVID-19 Pandemic (PDF). Information and considerations for providers related to COVID-19.

University of Minnesota: Handbook of Antibiotic Stewardship in Companion Animal Veterinary Settings. Handbook for veterinary hospitals interested in implementing the core principles of antimicrobial stewardship in veterinary medicine.

University of Minnesota: Pocket Guide to Antimicrobial Prescribing for Common Small Animal Diseases (PDF). A handy reference that outlines peer-reviewed prescribing guidelines for common canine and feline conditions, as well as stewardship tips. It fits in a white coat pocket!

Free Continuing Education for Health Care and Veterinary Professionals

CDC: Continuing Education and Informational Resources. Free CDC antibiotic stewardship training course for health care professionals, offering more than 10 credits of continuing education.

CDC Train: CDC's Antibiotic Stewardship Training Series. Interactive web-based activity designed to help clinicians optimize antibiotic use to combat antibiotic resistance and improve health care quality and patient safety.

USDA: National Veterinary Accreditation Program Training Modules for Accreditation Renewal. Module 23, Use of Antibiotics in Animals, increases awareness among veterinarians about diagnostic tools, regulatory requirements, and issues surrounding antibiotic resistance.

Module 29, Veterinary Feed Directive, describes the veterinary feed directive (VFD) order, which is a written statement for a veterinarian to maintain oversight of medicated feed for use in food-producing animals by authorizing the client to obtain and use feed containing antibiotics that are medically important in human medicine.

University of Minnesota: Antimicrobial Resistance Learning Site for Veterinary Science. Open-source teaching modules designed for integration into veterinary school courses on pharmacology, microbiology, One Health, and species-specific medicine.

Spread the word!

CDC: Be Antibiotics Aware Partner Toolkit. Messages for patients, the public, and health care professionals.

MDH: Antibiotics Only When Needed (O.W.N.). Graphic elements to increase awareness of appropriate antibiotic use. Please these resources to improve antibiotic use in your community. 

MDH: One Health Antibiotic Stewardship Resources and Print Materials. Fact sheets, flyers, posters, brochures, and other materials that you can print and use. Take a break and check out the crossword and coloring sheet.

CDC: About Antibiotic Use. Frequently asked questions and an antibiotics quiz.

MDH: Antimicrobial Use and Resistance Basics. General information about antibiotic resistance and its effect on humans, animals, and the environment.

CDC: Antibiotic Resistance in Pets and People. Infographic about why appropriate antibiotic use is important for pets and their owners.