The Antimicrobial Stewardship in Australian Health Care 2018 (AMS Book) will be updated to include additional chapters as they are finalised to continue to support AMS in specific settings, such as primary care. As new resources also become available, they will be added as hyperlinks to the AMS Book.
The most recent addition to the AMS Book is a chapter dealing with antimicrobial stewardship in general practice. This chapter covers antimicrobial resistance and antimicrobial use in the community; factors that influence antimicrobial prescribing in general practice; antimicrobial stewardship strategies for general practice; and, clinical governance and leadership.
This AMS Book describes the roles of those responsible for establishing and implementing AMS programs, as well as how prescribers, pharmacists, infection control practitioners, nurses and midwives can contribute to program success by incorporating AMS principles within their clinical practice. It summarises current evidence about AMS strategies and interventions, and their implementation, and each chapter begins with a summary of the key points relevant to the topic:
- Chapters 1–7 provide strategies for implementing and sustaining AMS. These chapters include guidance on establishing and sustaining AMS programs, strategies and interventions that change prescribing behaviour, use of electronic clinical decision support systems, clinician education, monitoring of antimicrobial use and evaluation of program outcomes, and strategies for engaging consumers in AMS.
- Chapters 8–12 examine the roles of the different clinicians in AMS. These chapters focus on the roles and responsibilities that clinicians can have in formal AMS programs, as well as how clinicians can incorporate AMS principles into their clinical practice. Chapters cover infectious diseases physicians; clinical microbiology services; prescribers; pharmacists; and nurses, midwives and infection control practitioners.
- Chapter 13 is the most recent chapter focussing on AMS in general practice.
