Antimicrobial Stewardship in Primary Care Continuing Education Program

Antimicrobial Stewardship in Primary Care course banner. 2020 CAUCE award winner for credit program under 48 hours.

Program length	Session date(s)	Format	Program fees*
Approx. five hours Participants will have access to the course for 90 days from the date of registration.	Start anytime!	Self-paced, online learning	$99 + applicable taxes

*Discounts are available to members of the School of Pharmacy community (e.g. alumni, co-op supervisors/preceptors) as well as large groups (e.g. 20 or more registrants from an organization). Discounts must be applied at the time of registration. Please contact phrcpd@uwaterloo.ca to determine whether you are eligible for a discount. Discounts will not be provided retroactively.

This award winning (*2020 Canadian Association for University Continuing Education (CAUCE) Awards, Credit Programming under 48 hours) series of multimedia modules, directed at community-based practitioners, provides current information about the consequences of use of antimicrobial agents, general principles for antimicrobial stewardship in primary care, as well as strategies to optimize antimicrobial use in a variety of common clinical scenarios.

Who should enrol

Dentists
Nurse Practitioner
Pharmacist
Physician
Medical professionals and students

What you will learn

In this course you will be exposed to the principles of antimicrobial stewardship and the necessity of improved antimicrobial use in primary care. You will be provided with the knowledge necessary to ensure appropriate use of antimicrobial agents and through various case studies you will be encouraged to develop critical thinking and decision-making skills in antimicrobial prescribing.

Throughout the course, additional resources will be made available in order to support your practice.

Course details

Watch video on YouTube

The course consists of four modules:

Module 1: Consequences of Use of Antimicrobial Agents
Module 2: Antimicrobial Stewardship
Module 3: General Principles for Antimicrobial Stewardship in Primary Care
Module 4: Optimizing Antimicrobial Use in Primary Care

Module 4 contains 5 sections that outline strategies for optimizing the use of antimicrobials in a variety of scenarios commonly encountered in Canadian primary care settings, including the following:

Dental Practice
Gonococcal Infection
Respiratory Tract Infection
Skin and Soft Tissue Infection
Urinary Tract Infection

Module 1

By the end of this module, you should be able to

define, in plain language, the term antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and identify the mechanisms by which bacteria express it,
recall how AMR develops and spreads in patients and communities,
identify antimicrobial-resistant organisms (AROs) and their impact in Canadian primary care settings, and
differentiate between short and long-term harms of antimicrobial use on individual patients and broader community health.

Module 2

By the end of this module, you should be able to

identify the limitations in managing infections prior to the availability of antimicrobials,
recall the inadequacy of antimicrobial development as a sole solution to the problem of antimicrobial resistance (AMR),
define antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) and outline the goals of AMS programs,
identify drivers of inappropriate use of antimicrobial agents in primary care,
recall actions taken by Canadian organizations to address AMR, and
apply evidence-based AMS strategies that can be employed in primary care settings.

Module 3

By the end of this module, you should be able to

compare and contrast: broad-spectrum antimicrobial, narrow-spectrum antimicrobial, collateral damage, and antimicrobial de-escalation,
differentiate between antimicrobial agents based on their propensity to cause collateral damage,
assess the justification for preferential use of shorter durations of antimicrobial therapy,
analyze route of administration of antimicrobials from an AMS perspective,
identify antimicrobial agents with high oral bioavailability,
list general infection prevention strategies and techniques,
recall strategies which might be useful when addressing vaccine hesitancy,
choose recommendations for appropriate foot care for patients with diabetes,
apply evidence-based strategies with patients and caregivers to decrease the likelihood of unnecessary antimicrobial prescribing,
interpret symptoms and likelihood of beta-lactam allergic reactions, and
decide management options for patients with or suspected of having a beta-lactam allergy

Module 4

Section 4.1: By the end of this section, you should be able to

recall the indications for prophylactic antimicrobials to prevent surgical site infections,
indicate conditions for which antimicrobial prophylaxis is and isn't recommended to prevent distant site infections,
select appropriate treatment for oral and odontogenic infections, and
choose relevant AMS messages when communicating with patients and caregivers.

Section 4.2: By the end of this section, you should be able to

recall the prevalence of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and key risk factors,
identify individuals at risk for gonococcal disease and describe strategies to decrease that risk,
list clinical manifestations and complications of gonococcal disease,
compare the diagnostic modalities available for gonococcal disease,
outline current management guidelines and the impact of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) on these, and
generate a treatment plan for a patient with gonorrhea.

Section 4.3: By the end of this section, you should be able to

give examples of effective strategies for communicating with patients and caregivers about unnecessary antimicrobial prescribing,
identify expected benefits and harms associated with antimicrobial use in the setting of acute uncomplicated respiratory tract infection,
use antimicrobial stewardship principles to identify patients presenting with acute uncomplicated respiratory tract infection for whom antimicrobial therapy is appropriate, and
generate a management plan using evidence-based strategies for patients presenting with acute uncomplicated respiratory tract infection.

Section 4.4: By the end of this section, you should be able to

differentiate between purulent and non-purulent skin and soft tissue infections,
identify risk factors for the development of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in outpatient settings,
recall appropriate non-pharmacologic management strategies for skin conditions commonly seen in primary care,
apply antimicrobial stewardship practices to the management of MRSA, impetigo, folliculitis, and cellulitis,
generate a treatment plan for a patient with a carbuncle, and
select appropriate scenarios for oral antimicrobial therapy in outpatients with diabetic foot infection.

Course completion requirements

Participants will have access to the course for 90 days from the date of registration. Upon successful completion of Modules 1, 2, 3, and at least one section of Module 4 (and achieving at least 70% on associated quizzes), participants will be eligible to receive a Statement of Completion. A Statement of Completion letter will be emailed within 30 days of completing all learning modules, or for the modules that were completed when registration expires (whichever comes first).

Accreditations

Accreditation - Physicians (Program ID: 198245, expiry Oct 13, 2023)

This Self-Learning program is certified by the College of Family Physicians of Canada (CFPC) for up to 5 Mainpro+ credits. Upon successful completion of Modules 1, 2, 3 and at least one section of Module 4, you will receive a Statement of Completion (2.5 to 5 Mainpro+ credits).

Accreditation - Pharmacists (CCCEP Number: 8013-2022-3507-I-P, expiry Aug. 29, 2023)

CCCEP Accredited provider This course is accredited by the Canadian Council for Continuing Education in Pharmacy (CCCEP) for up to 5 Continuing Education Units (CEUs). Upon successful completion of Modules 1, 2, 3 and at least one section of Module 4, you will receive a Statement of Completion (2.5 to 5 CEUs).

Continuing Education Points - Dentists

For members of the Royal College of Dental Surgeons of Ontario, this course is eligible for 3 CE points in Category 2: Approved Sponsor Courses. Upon successful completion of Modules 1, 2, 3 and Module 4.1, you will receive a Continuing Education certificate (3 CE points in Category 2).

Testimonials

This online CE was so well laid out. The combination of text, graphics, tables, videos made the content well-organized and very interesting. I would love to see more content offered in this same format.

- EO, Community Pharmacist, Antimicrobial Stewardship in Primary Care course participant

"I recently completed your Antimicrobial Stewardship in Primary Care CME online and found it one of the better online CMEs I have ever taken. I found it highly practical and very primary care focused which was greatly appreciated."

- LD-G, Family Physician, Antimicrobial Stewardship in Primary Care course participant

"Great Program! Most infectious diseases education programs focus on in-hospital settings. It is nice to have a program to cater to the needs in primary care."

- JL, Family Health Team pharmacist, Antimicrobial Stewardship in Primary Care course participant

Financial support for the content development of this program from