The Urgent Care Association (UCA) and the College of Urgent Care Medicine® (CUCM) offer an Antibiotic Stewardship Commendation program for urgent care centers that demonstrate a commitment to responsible prescribing practices for antibiotics. With antimicrobial resistance on the rise, UCA advocates for healthcare providers to prescribe the right drug in the right dose for the right duration.
Antibiotic resistance is a serious threat, and UCA is proud to take a leadership role in finding a solution to this growing problem. There is a real need for comprehensive antibiotic stewardship across the healthcare industry, and UCA is encouraging all urgent care providers to take ownership of their prescribing practices and understand the role they play in stewardship efforts.
The Antibiotic Stewardship Commendation Program requires urgent care centers to provide evidence of their compliance with the Core Elements of Outpatient Antibiotic Stewardship program developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The CDC program provides a framework for antibiotic stewardship in the outpatient setting focused on four key elements:
Commitment: Demonstrate dedication to and accountability for optimizing antibiotic prescribing and patient safety
Action for Policy and Practice: Implement at least one policy or practice to improve responsible prescribing and assess its efficacy with an Antibiotic Stewardship Quality Plan
Tracking and Reporting: Monitor antibiotic prescribing and offer regular feedback to clinicians
Education and Expertise: Provide educational resources to clinicians and patients on antibiotic prescribing and ensure access to needed expertise on optimizing prescribing practices
The goal of this program is to encourage urgent care centers to become more proactive in their antibiotic stewardship efforts. Using evidence-based recommendations for diagnosis and management, organizations can design and implement strategies to improve their prescribing practices, as well as educate patients on proper antibiotic use.
The period of Commendation is three years, and urgent care centers are required to provide evidence demonstrating ongoing compliance with the CDC’s Core Elements and an assessment of quality improvement efforts to obtain repeat Commendation.
Pricing for the ABS Commendation:
Applying Accreditation (initial or renewal): No additional cost (requires ABS processed at time of survey)
Currently Accredited (mid-cycle): $120
Currently Certified: $240
Not Accredited nor Certified: $420
The application for antibiotic stewardship commendation is via electronic form. To receive the application please email us at quality@ucaoa.org.
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