Antimicrobial stewardship (AS/AMS) is a series of actions that promote the safe and appropriate use of antimicrobials (including antibiotics and antifungals). These measures have served to optimize antimicrobial prescribing, reduce adverse effects, and help combat resistance of microorganisms. Antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASPs) should be present in acute, post-acute, and outpatient healthcare settings to ensure safety, quality, and consistency in transitions of care. The main objective of an antimicrobial stewardship program is for the patient to receive the right antimicrobial agent, at the right dose, for the right duration, and for the right diagnosis. The referenced interventions improve patient outcomes and conserve valuable resources.

Antimicrobial Stewardship Consultations: The staff at the New Jersey Department of Health provide AS/AMS consultations through referrals and at the request of organizational staff members. These serve to help interested parties expand upon existing AS/AMS practices and are applicable to all setting types, including acute, post-acute, and outpatient settings. The referenced consultations may be arranged by submitting a message to the following e-mail address: abxaware@doh.nj.gov.

Dental Antimicrobial Stewardship: There is great opportunity to implement AS/AMS practices within dental settings. Please see the following items with that objective, resulting in optimized medication therapy, reduction in adverse drug reactions (ADRs), and decrease of antibiotic resistance.

Transitions of Care: A principle and action which intends to ensure a smooth and safe patient transfer between healthcare settings (acute, post-acute, and outpatient); there is an emphasis on medication management, reconciliation, and patient education. The ultimate goal is to improve outcomes and reduce readmissions to healthcare facilities. The intention is to optimize antimicrobial use, while decreasing adverse drug reactions (ADRs) and antimicrobial resistance (AR) within the context of antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASPs) across the referenced setting types.

Antibiotic stewardship is a collaborative effort to measure and improve how antimicrobials are prescribed by clinicians and used by patients. The CDC’s Core Elements of Antibiotic Stewardship are the basis by which to guide antimicrobial agent use and, in so doing, optimize treatment outcomes. The referenced principles are applicable and effective across the respective setting types.

• Core Elements of Hospital Antibiotic Stewardship Programs | Antibiotic Prescribing and Use | CDC
• Priorities for Hospital Core Element Implementation | Antibiotic Prescribing and Use | CDC
• Core Elements of Antibiotic Stewardship for Nursing Homes | Antibiotic Prescribing and Use | CDC
• Core Elements of Outpatient Antibiotic Stewardship | Antibiotic Prescribing and Use | CDC

Antimicrobial resistance (AR): The process by which microorganisms (germs) develop immunity against the drugs intended to kill them; it has the potential to affect people at any age, as well as various industries that include but are not limited to healthcare, veterinary, and agricultural settings. As such, it is among the most urgent of public health concerns on a local, national, and global level. AR can be reduced or otherwise eliminated by effective infection prevention measures and improved antimicrobial use.

• Antimicrobial Resistance | CDC
• Multidrug-resistant Organisms (MDRO) Management Guidelines | Infection Control | CDC
• Antimicrobial-Resistant Fungal Diseases | Fungal Diseases | CDC
• Fungal Disease Laboratories | Fungal Diseases | CDC
• C. diff | CDC
• C. diff: Facts for Clinicians | C. diff | CDC
• Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) Basics | CDC
• Clinical Overview of MRSA in Healthcare Settings | CDC

The National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) is the nation’s most frequently used healthcare-associated infection tracking system, as part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The network provides facilities, states, regions, and the nation with important data needed to identify problem areas, measure the progress of prevention efforts, and ultimately eliminate healthcare-associated infections. NHSN is an integral part of practices associated with antimicrobial stewardship. It allows the previously referenced organizations to track antimicrobial use (AU) and patterns of antimicrobial resistance (AR), thereby addressing potential issues and optimizing medication therapy from the perspective of local developments and patterns.

• NHSN | CDC
• CDC Locations and Descriptions and Instructions for Mapping Patient Care Locations

U.S. Antibiotic Awareness Week (USAAW) occurs on annual basis during the month of November, in accordance with activities by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Additional information can be found using the following link: 

U.S. Antibiotic Awareness Week (USAAW) | CDC