With the cold and flu season underway, now is a good time to review appropriate antibiotic use. In fact, November 16-22, 2015, is "Get Smart About Antibiotics Week" – a national campaign to highlight the problem of antibiotic resistance and the importance of appropriate antibiotic use.

The California Medical Association (CMA) Foundation's Alliance Working for Antibiotic Resistance Education (AWARE) project has teamed up with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and others to bring attention to this growing concern. The campaign’s goal is to raise awareness about the threat of antibiotic resistance and the importance of appropriate antibiotic use across all health care settings.

The use of antibiotics is the single most important factor that contributes to antibiotic resistant bacteria. Up to one-third to one-half of antibiotic use is either unnecessary or inappropriate. Prescribing and taking antibiotics when they are not needed creates additional health risks by increasing the chances a patient will experience a bad drug reaction, and could lead to the development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, which affects everyone in the community.

The CMA Foundation recently published its 2015 antibiotic awareness toolkit for physicians and other clinicians. The toolkit, updated annually, is available for download at the CMA Foundation website. It contains an array of clinical resources and patient education materials to help reduce inappropriate antibiotic use.

The toolkit is also available as a mobile app containing clinical guidelines for appropriate antibiotic use. It is a great resource for physicians looking to have the latest prescribing guidelines at their fingertips. The app is free for both Android and iOS platforms in the Google Play and iTunes stores.

For more information about "Get Smart About Antibiotics Week," visit the CDC website.

Contact: Veronica Mijic at (916) 779-6624 or vmijic@thecmafoundation.org.