While the use of antibiotics revolutionized medical care and led to the eradication of some diseases, it’s clear that the overuse of antibiotics has resulted in the very bacteria they are fighting developing a resistance to them. Also some people develop allergic reactions to antibiotics. The healthcare system recognizing these problems has undertaken a concerted effort to use antibiotics appropriately. Last week, MHA sent a notice to its membership informing them of a new antibiotic stewardship project funded by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), in conjunction with the Johns Hopkins Medicine Armstrong Institute for Patient Safety and Quality and NORC at The University of Chicago. Hospitals can sign up for 12-month project, which begins in December 2017, to reduce patient harms, safeguard antibiotics for future generations, and meet the Joint Commission’s new Antimicrobial Stewardship Standard, effective January 2017. AHRQ is holding a one-hour webinar to explain the project on either October 10, 17, or November 9. More information on the webinars and the project is available at
safetyprogram4antibioticstewardship.org.