Antimicrobial resistance, when bacteria are harder to kill with antibiotics, and the increasing incidence of multi-drug resistant organisms is a safety issue for patients and residents in Pennsylvania, nationally, and abroad. Each year in the United States, at least two million people get an antibiotic-resistant infection, and at least 23,000 people die. One of the biggest contributors to the rise of these "super bugs" is the inappropriate use of antibiotics, such as taking antibiotics for a viral infection like a cold or the flu. Implementing an antibiotic stewardship program has been shown to improve patient and resident outcomes.
