How We’re Strengthening Safe and Effective Antibiotic Care

As you know, antibiotics are essential, lifesaving medications, but using antibiotics when they are not needed creates multidrug-resistant organisms that are difficult or impossible to treat. It is estimated that up to 30% of outpatient antibiotic prescriptions in the U.S. are unnecessary, making this an important focus area for healthcare systems to tackle.  

Recent findings from the World Health Organization also highlight rapidly increasing resistance to antibiotics for many common infections.

Raising Awareness, Providing Support

This week is Antibiotic Awareness Week, and you may see the Wells Fargo Building in downtown Roanoke lit up in purple—the official color of Antibiotic Awareness Week—to help us share this message. We are committed to reducing inappropriate antibiotic prescriptions to protect our patients and community, reduce unnecessary side effects, and preserve antibiotics for future generations.

Our Antimicrobial Stewardship Team launched and enhanced several new tools over the last year, to support clinicians in making informed, data-driven prescribing decisions:

• Stewardship Mobile App: Antimicrobial stewardship resources are now at your fingertips! Available through Eolas Medical, our app was recently modernized with an AI-powered engine designed to answer all of your antimicrobial questions based on Carilion-specific guidance and evidence.
• Antibiotic Prescribing Dashboard: Our updated dashboard gives outpatient physicians real-time access to antibiotic prescribing data. Easily review trends, compare with peers, and identify opportunities to optimize prescribing practices—all in one secure, user-friendly platform.
• Provider Education: We’ve expanded our education efforts with brief asynchronous trainings focused on evidence-based antibiotic use. They can be found through the Eolas app and CME credit is available!

Celebrating our Success

Thanks to teamwork and collaboration of our clinical staff, we’ve achieved significant success in several key areas. Increased use of the stewardship mobile app in recent months has led to better antibiotic prescribing for several common conditions. And in pediatrics, focused stewardship work over the past year has significantly improved prescribing for sinusitis. 

CRBH has also made great progress with a new scorecard measure.

“Over the past year, the Rockbridge hospitalist medicine team used this metric tool to improve inpatient antibiotic use. Their teamwork led to a meaningful drop in broad-spectrum antibiotic use and improved the quality of care for patients,” says Lauren McDaniel, Lead Infectious Diseases Pharmacist. 

Let’s build on these successes and remember that smart prescribing today means stronger care tomorrow. 

Learn more on the Antimicrobial Stewardship hub and stay tuned for more important updates to support our clinical teams this cold and flu season.