NACDS Foundation’s research integral in global focus on antibiotic stewardship

Arlington, Va. — With the 17th Annual NACDS Foundation Dinner rapidly approaching, the publicity surrounding the 2015 Get Smart About Antibiotics Week provides a timely demonstration of the public health relevance that the NACDS Foundation's benefactors will support on Dec. 3.

 

Get Smart About Antibiotics Week, which runs until Nov. 22, is part of the larger "Get Smart: Know When Antibiotics Work" public health initiative spearheaded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that will coincide with similar international programs. The CDC’s effort is an implementing component of the White House National Strategy for Combating Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria, which is designed to ensure that antibiotics are used as they should be and prescribed only when needed 

 

To help address this public health threat, the NACDS Foundation has committed to work with the Colleges of Pharmacy at the University of Nebraska Medical Center and Ferris State University on a retrospective research study that will evaluate the impact of a neighborhood pharmacy antibiotic stewardship model in at least 10 states by the end of 2016. This research provides the opportunity to evaluate the impact of blending advancements in point-of-care testing with an innovative care delivery model to prevent misuse and over-use of antibiotics for flu and strep throat. This model is anchored by a physician-led collaborative practice agreement and employs community pharmacy care and evidence-based, clinical guidelines.

 

This study, which the NACDS Foundation committed to as part of White House Forum on Antibiotic Stewardship last June, builds on a prior research pilot commissioned by the NACDS Foundation. The preliminary findings of the initial research indicate that a patient-care model involving collaborative practice with physicians and community pharmacists could potentially lead to more judicious use of antibiotics and antivirals, improved public health, and safe and convenient care for patients.

 

“When supporters gather in New York City at the NACDS Foundation Dinner on Dec. 3, they will be coming together to support promising public health research,” NACDS Foundation president Kathleen Jaeger said. "Antibiotic resistance presents a significant global, national and community threat, the NACDS Foundation is proud to play our part in the development of effective community antibiotic stewardship strategies."