OCEAN COUNTY – Urgent Care Now, with four locations in Ocean County – Manahawkin, Lacey, Toms River and Little Egg Harbor has earned the Antibiotic Stewardship Commendation from the Urgent Care Association (UCA) and College of Urgent Care Medicine (CUCM). In achieving this Commendation, Urgent Care Now has demonstrated a commitment to responsible prescribing practices of antibiotics.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), each year in the U.S. at least 2 million people acquire an antibiotic-resistant infection, and at least 23,000 people die as a result of antimicrobial resistance. UCA and CUCM developed the Antibiotic Stewardship Commendation program to help urgent care centers design and implement comprehensive stewardship strategies.
[adrotate banner="278"]In order to achieve the Commendation, UCA and CUCM require urgent care centers to provide evidence demonstrating their compliance with the Core Elements of Outpatient Antibiotic Stewardship developed by the CDC. The CDC program provides a framework for antibiotic stewardship in the outpatient setting focused on four key elements:
- Commitment: Demonstrate dedication to and accountability for optimizing antibiotic prescribing and patient safety
- Action for Policy and Practice: Implement at least one policy or practice to improve responsible prescribing and assess its efficacy with an Antibiotic Stewardship Quality Plan
- Tracking and Reporting: Monitor antibiotic prescribing and offer regular feedback to clinicians
- Education and Expertise: Provide educational resources to clinicians and patients on antibiotic prescribing and ensure access to needed expertise on optimizing prescribing practice
In earning the Antibiotic Stewardship Commendation, Urgent Care Now has demonstrated that they are committed to safeguarding antibiotic use for future generations. For more information about the Antibiotic Stewardship Commendation program, visit ucaoa.org/ABSCommendation.
