ADEA Publishes Policy Brief on Combatting Antibiotic Resistance

The overprescription of antibiotics and the emergence of antibiotic resistance have been accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Although a viral disease, antibiotic prescriptions are often prescribed to COVID-19 patients at risk of bacterial infections. The latest research from the Pew Charitable Trust indicates that in the midst of the pandemic, at least one course of antibiotics was prescribed to more than half of hospitalized COVID-19 patients.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that more than 2.8 million new antibiotic-resistant infections occur yearly, resulting in more than 35,000 deaths. It is estimated that 10% of antibiotic prescriptions are written by dentists. To combat this rising public health threat, dental educators play a key role in promoting safeguards and antibiotic stewardship to monitor the overprescription of antibiotics in dental school curricula and clinics.

The ADEA Office of Policy and Education Research has published a policy brief that offers policy considerations to help improve antibiotic prescription habits of dentists and underscoring pedagogical initiatives that academic dentistry can take to combat antibiotic overprescription and be a steward in the fight against antibiotic resistance.

Download the full policy brief and visit the ADEA Policy Publications webpage to learn more about our policy research series. For any questions, please contact Omar A. Escontrías, Dr.P.H., M.P.H., at escontriaso@adea.org.

Published on May 12, 2021