
Antibiotic Stewardship

Since their discovery, antibiotics have proven to be revolutionary in the practice of medicine allowing treatment of infections which were once considered untreatable and lethal. However, misuse of these miraculous drugs has led to significant consequences including individual patient harm resulting from antibiotic related side effects and societal harm due to the spread of antibiotic resistance.
UPDATES
Antibiotic Awareness Week is 11/18/2023 through 11/24/2023. Join DPH as we educate patients and healthcare providers to be Antibiotics Aware!
Please join us and help support the CDC’s #GoPurpleCampaign for USA Antibiotic Awareness Week to show your support for improving the use of antibiotics and antifungals and combating antimicrobial resistance.
- Wear purple.
- Take pictures and post them to your organization’s social media websites to show your support.
Check out the CDC Partner Toolkit and other CDC resources to get ready for Antibiotic Awareness Week.

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What is Antibiotic Stewardship?
Antibiotic stewardship is a program put into place to measure and improve antibiotic prescribing by physicians and use by patients. Antibiotic stewardship strives to minimize missed or delayed diagnoses that can lead to underuse of antibiotics. It is also crucial to ensure that the right drug, dose, and duration are selected when an antibiotic is needed.
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Why is it Important?
Inappropriate antibiotic use contributes to the spread of antibiotic resistance which lowers the likelihood of the drug working in the future. Inappropriate use of antibiotics can also contribute to increased health care costs, adverse drug reactions, health care related infections, and community-associated Clostridium difficile infections. Annually in the United States, approximately two million people develop infections from antibiotic-resistant bacteria, and 23,000 people die because of these infections (CDC).
General
- Antibiotics Prescribing and Use (Source: CDC https://www.cdc.gov/antibiotic-use/index.html)
- Antimicrobial Use and Resistance (AUR) Options (Source: AUR | PSC | NHSN | CDC https://www.cdc.gov/nhsn/psc/aur/index.html)
- NHSN Conferring Rights Template (Source:
NHSN
Conferring Rights Template ) - Antibiotic Resistance & Patient Safety Portal (Sources: CDC https://arpsp.cdc.gov/profile/antibiotic-use/all-classes)
- CDC’s Antibiotic Stewardship Training Plan (Source: https://www.train.org/cdctrain/training_plan/3697)
- Core Elements of Antibiotic Stewardship by Setting (Source: CDC https://www.cdc.gov/antibiotic-use/core-elements/index.html)
- Treatment Recommendations by Population (Source: CDC https://www.cdc.gov/antibiotic-use/clinicians.html)
- Improve Antibiotic Use – Implementing CDC’s 6/18 Initiative: A Resource Center (Source: https://www.618resources.chcs.org/priority-conditions/improve-antibiotic-use/)
Hospital/Inpatient
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- R3 Report Issue 35: New and Revised Requirements for Antibiotic Stewardship (Source: The Joint Commission https://www.jointcommission.org/standards/r3-report/)
- Hospital Antibiotic Stewardship (Source: CDC https://arpsp.cdc.gov/profile/stewardship)
- Antibiotic Prescribing and Use Implementation Resources for Hospitals (Source: CDC https://www.cdc.gov/antibiotic-use/core-elements/hospital/implementation.html)
- NHSN Antimicrobial Use and Resistance (AUR) Module Reporting Basics: (Source: CDC https://www.cdc.gov/nhsn/pdfs/training/2023/aur-reporting-for-cms-pip-508.pdf)
- NHSN AUR Module Reporting for the CMS Promoting Interoperability (PI) Program Office Hours: (Source: CDC https://www.cdc.gov/nhsn/pdfs/training/2023/AUR-PIP-Office-Hours_20230928.pdf)
- NHSN resources describing CMS requirements: (Source: CDC https://www.cdc.gov/nhsn/cms/ach.html#anchor_1687351074355)
- Additional training modules for AUR: (Source: CDC AUR Training | PSC | NHSN | CDC)
- If you have additional NHSN/AUR related questions please reach out to the NHSN Helpdesk at [email protected], and for CMS related questions reach out to the Quality Net Help desk at [email protected] or 1-866-288-8912.
Outpatient/Dialysis
- Measuring Outpatient Antibiotic Prescribing (Source: Measuring Outpatient Antibiotic Prescribing (cdc.gov))
- Implementation Resources for Outpatient Facilities | APU | CDC (Source: https://www.cdc.gov/antibiotic-use/core-elements/outpatient/implementation.html)
- Improving Antibiotic Use in Outpatient Hemodialysis Facilities (Source: Antibiotic Prescribing in Outpatient Hemodialysis Facilities | Antibiotic Use | CDC)
Dental
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- Antibiotic Stewardship in Dentistry (Source: Antibiotic Stewardship | American Dental Association (ada.org))
- Checklist for Antibiotic Prescribing in Dentistry (Source: Checklist for Antibiotic Prescribing in Dentistry (cdc.gov))
- Treating Patients with Dental Pain and Swelling Fact Sheet (Source: Dentists: Be Antibiotics Aware - Treating Patients with Dental Pain and Swelling (cdc.gov))
- Antibiotic Use for a Safe Dental Visit Patient Brochure (Source: Antibiotic Use For A Safe Dentist Visit (cdc.gov))
Long-Term Care
- Core Elements of Antibiotic Stewardship for Nursing Homes (Source: Core Elements of Antibiotic Stewardship for Nursing Homes | APU | CDC)
- Implementation Resources for Nursing Homes | APU | CDC (Source: https://www.cdc.gov/antibiotic-use/core-elements/nursing-homes/implementation.html)
- Antibiotic Stewardship Program for Nursing Home Providers - Training Information (Source: https://qsep.cms.gov/pubs/ClassInformation.aspx?cid=0CMSDevASP_NH_Prov)
Print/Video/Web and Graphics Materials
- Patient Resources and Education | Antibiotic Use | CDC (Source: https://www.cdc.gov/antibiotic-use/materials-references/index.html)
- Educational Resources for Healthcare Professionals | Antibiotic Use | CDC (Source: https://www.cdc.gov/antibiotic-use/training/materials.html)
Veterinary
- Antibiotic Stewardship in Veterinary Medicine Resources (Source: One Health Antibiotic Stewardship Resources and Print Materials | Minnesota Department of Health (health.state.mn.us))
- Antibiotic Prescribing Guidelines and Resources for Veterinarians (Source: Antimicrobial Resistance and Stewardship Initiative | University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine (arsi.umn.edu))
- Veterinary Antibiotic Use Infographic (Source: Veterinary General Practice Antibiotic Use Survey | University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine (arsi.umn.edu))
Videos
- DPH | Alliant Health Solutions Strike Team Office Hours (YouTube): https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLzMcwEGdjTLmB9k8Jc2O9KqgLhLsFJajQ
- CDC NHSN Training Videos (YouTube): https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvrp9iOILTQYzQ_vFc-PZGhgDOL3XrXvT
- CDC | Safe Healthcare Webinars (YouTube): https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvrp9iOILTQayOi5lgk08QDgv3GHROtCf
- CDC | Dialysis Safety Videos (YouTube): https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvrp9iOILTQZZfYDSI9vYiOC2x7fSz2TE
- Antimicrobial Resistance Fighter Coalition (YouTube): https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnVjKiiBsfA6W-7TMrUsm-w
The application instructions for the Antibiotic Stewardship Honor Roll are being revised. If you previously received a certificate prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the certificate is not expiring. Once the instructions for the new Honor Roll are posted on the website, hospitals will have a minimum of 3 months to submit their applications to DPH.
Last updated: 11/17/23