This year the U.S. Antibiotic Awareness Week (USAAW) will run between November 12 to 18.  Organized by the CDC, this week long campaign brings awareness to healthcare professionals and the public on the threat of antibiotic resistance and the importance of using antibiotic appropriately.

The CDC has prepared a partner toolkit for institutions that want to participate in this event. The toolkit contains key messages, social media content (#AntibioticResistance, #USAAW18, #BeAntibioticsAware), graphics and more.

Below is a sample of events that will be promoted during each day of the 2018 Antibiotic Awareness Week.

Monday, November 12

• Special edition of the CDC Safe Healthcare Blog which will feature a story on successful implementation of antimicrobial stewardship program for veterans
• Publication of an article that describes drivers of inappropriate antibiotic prescribing and potential interventions

Tuesday, November 13

• Free webinar with CE titled 5 Ways Pharmacists Can Be Antibiotic Aware at 1 pm EST where experts will discuss the roles of pharmacists in improving antibiotic prescribing in hospital settings (registration required)
• Free webinar with CME Promoting Behavior Change Around Antibiotic Prescribing at 12 pm EST which will focus on changing the culture of antibiotic prescribing (registration required)
• 2017 data on Percentage of Hospitals Meeting all 7 Core Elements of Hospital Antibiotic Stewardship Programs by State

Wednesday, November 14

• New brochure on Do You Need Antibiotics? Information about antibiotics for nursing home residents and their families
• New customizable commitment poster for long-term care facilities, A Commitment to Our Residents About Antibiotics

Thursday, November 15

• Kick-off of a global Twitter storm from 9-10 am EST at #AntibioticResistance with the message Antibiotic resistance is one of the most urgent global health threats. Everyone has a role to play in improving antibiotic use to help fight #AntibioticResistance
• New antimicrobial stewardship core elements for resource-limited settings

Friday, November 16

• New data on 2016 Outpatient Antibiotic Prescription Rates by State
• New publication on Antibiotic Prescriptions Associated with Dental-Related Emergency Department Visits
• A patient pamphlet on Do You Need Antibiotics From Your Dentist?

During this week, also look for blogposts from Nebraska ASAP and UNMC Division of Infectious Diseases on antibiotic stewardship and appropriate antibiotic prescribing.  We are excited for this year’s events and we hope you will participate in this important patient safety and public health initiative.

Written by Phil Chung, PharmD, MS, BCPS