The CT Practice Transformation Network (CT-PTN), as part of the national Transforming Clinical Practices Initiative (TCPi), has rolled out a new “antibiotic stewardship” initiative designed to reduce the prescription and use of unnecessary antibiotics.

Kelly Halkyard
Clinical Excellence Quality Improvement Advisor

Through a partnership with Qualidigm, CT-PTN seeks to educate health center patients and providers about proper use of antibiotics. Many patients wrongly believe that antibiotics are the cure for everything from a cold to the flu to a stomach virus! – but overuse of antibiotics is actually harmful to both individual patients and to the community as a whole. When people use antibiotics inappropriately, it can cause bacteria and other microbes to change, so that antibiotics stop working against them.

 As part of this new initiative, health centers are displaying posters to educate patients and their families that they may not need antibiotics to get better. Health centers are also using prescription pads that will tell patients: what their diagnosis is, which over-the-counter medicine(s) to buy, and other instructions, such as to drink more fluids and get rest. These “prescriptions” will help patients learn the best ways to get healthy when they have viruses. Health centers are also making commitments to reduce antibiotic use – timely, given the uptick in viral infections as the winter approaches.

 CT-PTN’s goal is to reduce unnecessary antibiotic usage by health center patients by 5% this year. This goal aligns with the nationwide goal to reduce unnecessary testing/procedures, which contributes to excess cost in the health care system.

 Help spread the word that antibiotics are not always appropriate!

Have a great week!

Kelly