SIUE School of Pharmacy’s Bergman Partners on IDPH Campaign
Dr. Scott Bergman, associate professor in the Southern Illinois University School of Pharmacy, is collaborating with the Illinois Department of Public Health on a new statewide initiative to promote appropriate use of antibiotics in outpatient health care settings.
Antibiotics are often misused in outpatient and other health care settings, contributing to reduced effectiveness of these important drugs and making even common infections more difficult to treat.
The Precious Drugs & Scary Bugs Campaign aims to increase health care provider and patient knowledge related to antibiotic resistance and appropriate antibiotic use. It also provides resources to support clinicians in improving antibiotic prescribing, particularly for upper respiratory infections.
“Antimicrobial resistance is a huge problem worldwide, and in America it’s hitting home, because we now have infections that no antibiotic is effective against,” Bergman said. “A lot of resistance stems from overuse in the community. Many times antibiotics aren’t even appropriate for infections, but they’re often prescribed, because the health provider and the patient are grasping for something in hopes that it will make the patient happy.”
Bergman is collaborating on the campaign implementation and research. His focus is measuring judicious antibiotic use among health care providers across the state.
Health care providers who take part in the campaign take a baseline survey prior to participating in educational sessions. They place customized public commitment posters in exam rooms designed to inform patients and remind health care providers of appropriate antibiotic use. A follow-up survey will be conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of the campaign.
To learn more about the campaign, visit idph.adobeconnect.com.
Photo: Dr. Scott Bergman, associate professor in the Southern Illinois University School of Pharmacy.
