Antimicrobial Update November 2021 World Anbioc Awareness Week 2021 World Anmicrobial Awareness Week (WAAW) between 18-24 November each year, aims to increase awareness of global anmicrobial resistance (AMR) and to encourage best pracces among the general public, health workers, farmers, animal health professionals and policy makers to avoid the further emergence and spread of drug-resistant infecons. To mark WAAW, HSCB are running a compeon to win an iPad. All you have to do is follow this link and answer a simple queson about the campaign to enter. Compeon closes 30 th November 2021. Spread Awareness, Stop Resistance!! “Anmicrobial resistance is sll one of the biggest threats facing us globally and locally which remains as important as ever during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. If we act now, we can protect the use of anbiocs so that they will connue to work now and well into the future. The slogan for the 2021 campaign is ‘Spread Awareness, Stop Resistance.’ HSCB are encouraging all healthcare professionals to share key messages with all staff and paents to help tackle Anmicrobial Resistance’” Anmicrobial Resistance is a threat to you and your family’s health. You can help by taking some simple steps: Only take anbiocs when they are prescribed by a healthcare professional. Remember, anbiocs are not effecve against viral infecons, such as a cold or flu. Most simple infecons such as sore throats or earaches do not need anbiocs. Your body can usually fight these infecons on its own. There are other medicines available to purchase to help manage your symptoms. If you are prescribed an anbioc, you must take it exactly as directed. Never share anbiocs with anyone else – this could be dangerous. “Go Blue”? Launch of WAAW global colour campaign. In an effort to improve global visibility of this health priority, individuals, communies, and organizaons are invited to join a colour campaign to build awareness of AMR and the medicines we must collecvely preserve. The colour light blue has been selected for the WAAW campaign. Click to win an iPad
Transcript
Antimicrobial Update November 2021
World Antibiotic Awareness Week 2021
World Antimicrobial Awareness Week (WAAW) between 18-24 November each year, aims to increase awareness of global antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and to encourage best practices among the general public, health workers, farmers, animal health professionals and policy makers to avoid the further emergence and spread of drug-resistant infections. To mark WAAW, HSCB are
running a competition to win an iPad. All you have to do is follow this link and answer a simple question about the campaign to enter. Competition closes 30th November 2021.
Spread Awareness, Stop Resistance!!
“Antimicrobial resistance is still one of the biggest threats facing us globally and locally which remains as important as ever during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. If we act now, we can protect the use of antibiotics so that they will continue to work now and well into the future. The slogan for the 2021 campaign is ‘Spread Awareness, Stop Resistance.’ HSCB are encouraging all healthcare professionals to share key messages with all staff and patients to help tackle Antimicrobial Resistance’”
Antimicrobial Resistance is a threat to you and your family’s health. You can help by taking some simple steps:
Only take antibiotics when they are prescribed by a healthcare professional.
Remember, antibiotics are not effective against viral infections, such as a cold or flu. Most simple infections such as sore throats or earaches do not need antibiotics. Your body can usually fight these infections on its own.
There are other medicines available to purchase to help manage your symptoms.
If you are prescribed an antibiotic, you must take it exactly as directed.
Never share antibiotics with anyone else – this could be dangerous.
“Go Blue”?
Launch of WAAW global colour campaign. In an effort to improve global visibility of this health priority, individuals, communities, and organizations are invited to join a colour campaign to build awareness of AMR and the medicines we must collectively preserve. The colour light blue has been selected for the WAAW campaign.
Antimicrobial resources for practices: NI formulary download the app
TARGET toolkit hub is available free on the RCGP website The TARGET 'Treating Your Infection’ leaflets for common infections are available in 25 languages and in a pictorial format. They all provide information on:
- Average symptom duration for common infections - Self-care advice for patients/parents - Safety-netting advice about when to reconsult
Antimicrobial resources for patients : Patients resources available on patient zone of the NI formulary
Antimicrobial Resources
Primary care dentistry had made significant progress to reduce antimicrobial prescribing in the years leading up to the pandemic whilst accommodating increasing numbers of dentists on the Dental List.
During March 2020 far-reaching restrictions were imposed on dental practices and the public were advised to stay at home. This changed the patient interface for GDPs whose only care option was to triage remotely and offer the three A’s, (advice, analgesics and antibiotics), for a number of months, until restrictions eased slightly and interventions became possible again in practice.
Dental treatment activity levels are still below 50% of pre-pandemic levels and there is also a significant backlog of untreated dental disease amongst the patient population which cannot be quantified until restrictions are lifted.
The HSCB will continue to promote good AMS in dental practices but feedback suggests that treatment patterns have changed as a result of the pandemic and this has the potential for higher use of antibiotics for the next 24 months. There is also an unknown level of need in the 35% of the population who are not registered with a dentist.
Dental Prescribing
The Northern Ireland One Health strategy for tackling antimicrobial resistance was aiming for a 15% reduction in antibiotic prescribing by primary care in the five years to 2023/24. Prescribing data for 2020/21 actually showed a
24% reduction in antibiotic items in that one single year.
Quite evidently it was a year like no other and it would be unrealistic to expect such a dramatic drop again. However if we could maintain just some of that fall through the changes we made in all of our practices and behaviors perhaps we will have achieved one unexpected benefit.
