Core Elements of Outpatient Antibiotic Stewardship

The Core Elements of Outpatient Antibiotic Stewardship provides a framework for antibiotic stewardship for outpatient clinicians and facilities that routinely provide antibiotic treatment. This report augments existing guidance for other clinical settings.

Antibiotic stewardship is the effort to measure and improve how antibiotics are prescribed by clinicians and used by patients. Improving antibiotic prescribing involves implementing effective strategies to modify prescribing practices to align them with evidence-based recommendations for diagnosis and management.

Training

• CDC’s Core Elements of Outpatient Antibiotic Stewardship webinar [1:01]
• Continuing Education and Informational Resources
  Training on appropriate antibiotic prescribing and patient education

Article

• MMWR – Core Elements of Outpatient Antibiotic Stewardship

Resources

• A Field Guide to Antibiotic Stewardship in Outpatient Settings pdf icon[PDF – 30 pages]external icon
• A guide from the Quality Improvement Organizations (QIO) program for outpatient clinical care delivery facilities including
  • physician offices
  • outpatient pharmacies and clinics
  • emergency departments
  • urgent care clinics
  • Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs)

• MITIGATE Antimicrobial Stewardship Toolkit pdf icon[PDF – 47 pages]external icon
• An antibiotic stewardship guide developed by the MITIGATE study team and available at the Quality Improvement Organizations (QIO Program) for
  • adult and pediatric emergency departments
  • urgent care settings

Handouts and Posters

• Patient and Physician Information
  Includes commitment posters; fact sheets to share with your patients; and patient information on delayed prescribing, watchful waiting, and symptomatic relief for viral illness
• Outpatient Treatment Recommendations
  Summary of recommendations from national clinical practice guidelines for appropriate antibiotic prescribing for common outpatient infections