Antibiotic Stewardship at Loring Hospital

Loring Hospital recently received a Quality Award for implementing the Center for Disease Control's (CDC) Core Elements of Outpatient Antibiotic Stewardship. What does that mean? At Loring we are working to minimize the spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, an important intervention for our patients and the communities we serve.

Antibiotic stewardship is the effort to measure and improve how antibiotics are prescribed by clinicians and used by patients. Improving antibiotic prescribing involves implementing effective strategies to modify prescribing practices to align them with evidence-based recommendations for diagnosis and management.

The misuse of antibiotics has contributed to the growing problem of antibiotic resistance, which has become one of the most serious and growing threats to public health. Antibiotic resistance causes 2 million illnesses and 23,000 deaths each year in the U.S., according to the CDC. Overuse and misuse of antibiotics has led to a global health crisis.

Improving the use of antibiotics is an important patient safety and public health issue for Loring Hospital. In order to receive this award Loring Hospital met or exceeded core standards of antibiotic stewardship such as dedicating necessary staff, financial and information technology resources; implementing action steps to combat antibiotic resistance; reporting information on antibiotic use; and educating staff about resistance and optimal prescribing.

Loring Hospital’s staff is committed to this national priority in healthcare, antibiotic stewardship.