2022 US Antibiotic Awareness Week Theme is Prevention

Friday, November 18, 2022, kicks off ess Week (USAAW), which is an annual observance that raises awareness of the threat of antibiotic and antifungal resistance and the importance of appropriate antibiotic use. The theme for 2022 is prevention. Infection prevention stops the spread of germs, thereby reducing antibiotic use.

Antimicrobial resistance happens when germs, like bacteria and fungi, develop the ability to defeat the drugs designed to kill them. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in US doctors’ offices and emergency departments, at least 28% of antibiotic courses prescribed each year are unnecessary, which makes improving antibiotic prescribing and use a national priority. The USAAW campaign aims to raise awareness of the problem and to promote best practices among the general public, healthcare professionals, and policy-makers.

To further the effort to educate healthcare professionals and the general public, complementary to USAAW, the CDC initiated the Be Antibiotics Aware campaign to provide partners with up-to-date information and tools to help improve human antibiotic prescribing and use in the United States.

Educational resources for healthcare professionals include:

• A one-page checklist for antibiotic prescribing is dentistry.
• Graphics and videos to use on social media platforms.
• Fact sheets and patient handouts on various topics.

An important principle of antibiotic stewardship, for dentists and all healthcare professionals, is to only prescribe antibiotics when medically necessary. Dentists should educate their patients on when antibiotics are needed. Because the standard of care is constantly evolving, dentists should routinely review and incorporate available infection control and prescribing guidelines into their daily clinical practice and seek training and education on proper treatment and management of oral infections.

Since 1992, OSHA Review, Inc. has provided dental professionals with comprehensive programs to support regulatory compliance and infection control. We are a registered continuing education provider in the state of California, specializing in Dental Practice Act, infection control, and OSHA training.