Antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) resources for patients

In these guidelines, the term ‘patient’ is used to describe the person who is receiving care. The Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care use the term ‘consumer’ to describe this group of people.

Discuss the use of the prescribed antimicrobial (including the indication) with the patient at the time of prescription, during review and on discharge from hospital. The Antimicrobial Clinical Care Standards recommend that the patient be provided with a review plan and information about how to use the antimicrobial, when to stop the antimicrobial and potential adverse effectsAustralian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care (ACSQHC), 2020. Discuss the benefits and harms of antimicrobial therapy with the patient. The benefits vary depending on the infection; for guidance on explaining the harms, see Explaining the harms of antimicrobial therapy. There are some illnesses where the benefits of antimicrobials are limited.

There are several resources available for consumers, including:

• Clinical Excellence Commission – Information for patients (resources available in multiple languages)
• Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health care (ACSQHC) – Information for consumers on antimicrobial resistance
• National Centre for Antimicrobial Stewardship (NCAS) – Consumer information sheets about common infections.