Alberta Health has supported and facilitated access to and use of antibiotic data via TPP Alberta. As an initial phase of antibiotic reporting, TPP Alberta has released the TPP Alberta Antibiotic Prescription Atlas 2018 to address antimicrobial resistance (AMR).
The purpose of the atlas is to provide an overview of provincial antibiotic medication use during 2017 and 2018. Alberta’s Pharmaceutical Information Network (PIN) is the source of medication use information. The PIN data consists of dispensing records from community pharmacies in Alberta.
Surveillance, Stewardship, Infection Prevention and Control, and Research and Innovation have been identified by the Canadian Federal AMR framework as the pillars in addressing this threat. The TPP Alberta Antibiotic Prescription Atlas 2018 will contribute to “Surveillance” by providing data for action, informing both awareness and stewardship interventions.
In its preface to the atlas, TPP Alberta stated: “Ultimately, antibiotics must be used in order to benefit people with bacterial infections. However, clinicians should be supported with evidence-based diagnostics, algorithms, and guidelines to be able to curtail ingrained patterns of antibiotic use that present risks of resistance and adverse effects without likely benefit. We need to understand our patterns to start this important work, and this Antibiotic Prescription Atlas represents a first step.”
For more information on prescribing antibiotics, including practice guidelines and support tools, visit the Prescribing Resources and Tools webpage on the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Alberta website. For more information about antibiotic monitoring and reporting, visit the TPP Alberta website.
