St. Joe's Antibiotic Stewardship Program is Choosing Wisely
Did you know St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton has an Antibiotic Stewardship Program?
Antibiotic stewardship is a new program developed over the last decade because more bacteria are becoming resistant to antibiotics and there are fewer new antibiotics in the development pipeline. As a consequence, infections that were easily treated in the past are becoming more difficult to treat. Public Health Ontario supports antibiotic stewardship as an effective strategy for limiting excessive use. Additionally, as of 2013, Accreditation Canada mandates that all acute care facilities have an Antibiotic Stewardship Program. The goal of these programs within hospitals is to ensure that antibiotics are being used wisely.
Committed to providing high quality evidence-based care for our patients, the Antibiotic Stewardship Program at St. Joe’s was created in 2010 as a quality improvement initiative to limit the overuse of antibiotics throughout the hospital. Antibiotics are a valuable resource and must be used sustainably to reduce the rate of antibiotic resistance, as well as improving outcomes for patients.
Leading the Antibiotic Stewardship Program is Dr. Philippe El-Helou, Head of Service of Infectious Diseases, St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton and Jennifer Lee, Antimicrobial Stewardship Pharmacist, St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton. Dr. Philippe El-Helou defines antibiotic stewardship as, “ensuring patients get the right antibiotics, at the right time, with the right dosage.” He adds “a common misconception is that more is better.” Giving patients more antibiotics for a longer period of time isn’t always better and can cause unnecessary harm.
Dr. El-Helou and Ms. Lee conduct antibiotic reviews in units within the hospital to assess the use of antibiotics with physicians and learners by providing feedback to ensure patients are on the most appropriate antibiotic(s) and where required, recommend discontinuation or reassessment of therapy. Formal antibiotic reviews (rounds) currently take place in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), Nephrology Unit and General Internal Medicine Units in collaboration with the unit pharmacists who make sure the correct antibiotic, at the correct dose and duration is given.
Another part of the program involves reviewing all culture results for patients who test positive for bacteria in the blood to ensure they are receiving appropriate treatment. Through these initiatives the Antibiotic Stewardship Program continues to enhance the quality of care and safety of our patients. “The main goal of the program is to ensure patients receive the best care possible,” explains Ms. Lee.
Next time you see your doctor, have a conversation.
Learn how you can become engaged in your healthcare through St. Joe’s is Choosing Wisely.
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Access Choosing Wisely materials by visiting: stjoes.ca/choosingwisely
To learn more about Choosing Wisely visit: www.choosingwiselycanada.org
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