Much of this prescribing at UNC Medical Center is appropriate; however, many patients are over-treated with antibiotic therapies that are unnecessary, too broad-spectrum, or continued for excessive durations. Lindsay Daniels, PharmD, MPH, Pharmacy Lead for the Carolina Antimicrobial Stewardship Program, offers a few ways healthcare professionals can put antimicrobial stewardship principles into practice.
Antibiotics are life-saving drugs. Without them, modern advances in medicine would not be possible. Reducing unnecessary antibiotic exposure is essential to preserving the efficacy of these drugs for the future. Our goal in stewardship is to optimize therapy for patients who require antibiotics and avoid using antibiotics where they will not be of benefit and could cause harm. More than half of all patients receive at least one antimicrobial agent during their hospital stay. Much of this prescribing at UNC Medical Center is appropriate; however, many patients are over-treated with antibiotic therapies that are unnecessary, too broad-spectrum, or continued for excessive durations.
Lindsay Daniels, PharmD, MPH, Pharmacy Lead for the Carolina Antimicrobial Stewardship Program, offers a few ways healthcare professionals can put antimicrobial stewardship principles into practice. Read them here.