Launch of the Commonwealth Partnerships for Antimicrobial Stewardship (CwPAMS) Toolkit

Launch of the Commonwealth Partnerships for Antimicrobial Stewardship (CwPAMS) Toolkit

Commonwealth Pharmacists Association Launches the Commonwealth Partnerships for Antimicrobial Stewardship (CwPAMS) Toolkit

  • Commonwealth Pharmacists Association (CPA) brings together resources for healthcare institutes to implement and improve Antimicrobial Stewardship (AMS)
  • Funded by the UK aid Fleming Fund to tackle antimicrobial resistance (AMR) globally
  • All resources within the toolkit are free to access and intended for use by healthcare facilities.

London, UK, November 19, 2020 – The Commonwealth Partnerships for Antimicrobial Stewardship (CwPAMS) in Ghana, Uganda, Tanzania and Zambia has developed a wealth of valuable resources for healthcare institutes to implement and improve antimicrobial stewardship (AMS). World Antimicrobial Awareness Week marks the launch of the CwPAMS toolkit.

The scope of this work was to collate resources from partnerships between the UK, Ghana, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia to complement guidance provided by the WHO AMS Practical Toolkit. It is intended that this toolkit outlines strategies and projects that a healthcare organisation could implement as part of an AMS workplan and gives case examples of the CwPAMS projects. The toolkit links to a repository of resources used within the CwPAMS projects.

The resources and shared experiences from the projects are brought together within a framework of the Core Elements for AMS. The toolkit aims to signpost to published works or provide CwPAMS project resources to support each component of the Core Elements of AMS. The toolkit may be used by healthcare facilities to identify their own AMS priorities and implement a workplan on a local level.

Resources developed by the Partnership teams include committee structures, terms of reference and work plans for AMS Committees, teaching slides for delivery of multi-disciplinary courses in Antimicrobial Stewardship, audit templates, guideline templates and local quality improvement projects.

All resources within the toolkit are free to access and intended for use by healthcare facilities. Resources may be adapted for local use to support healthcare institutions across the commonwealth.

Whilst Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) is integral to reducing the spread of antibiotic resistant organisms and infections, IPC was not the primary focus of this toolkit. However, all the projects included IPC within their work; and a number of the projects brought about significant and inspiring changes. These have been included within the toolkit. Examples of exemplary work to reduce transmission of infection including local actions and responses to the Covid-19 pandemic through CwPAMS partnerships are also included in the toolkit.

This toolkit does not address use of antimicrobials in animals.

“Healthcare workers around the world are on the front line protecting us from the COVID-19 pandemic, and I thank every single one of them. I am so pleased that the CwPAMS toolkit will equip our healthcare workers with resources to support antimicrobial stewardship. This is an invaluable resource as we seek to globally tackle the slow growing pandemic of Antimicrobial Resistance. Through this toolkit, our health care workers will be better equipped to preserve our precious antibiotics for generations to come.”

Professor Dame Sally Davies, UK Special Envoy on Antimicrobial Resistance

“The CwPAMS partnerships, have demonstrated a recognition of the importance of Antimicrobial Stewardship and an extensive commitment from healthcare workers across the UK, Ghana, Uganda, Tanzania and Zambia to collaboratively tackle antimicrobial resistance and develop effective Antimicrobial Stewardship interventions. The resources and tools developed through CwPAMS are now available for others to consider and use as a starting point when developing their own antimicrobial stewardship interventions and have been mapped to the WHO AMS toolkit and checklist. The CPA is grateful to the 12 CwPAMS partnership teams including the global health pharmacy fellows who have shared their resources and experiences and are an inspiration as to what can be achieved through collaborations and health partnerships.”

Diane Ashiru-Oredope, CPA Global AMR Lead

“It has been a privilege to see how much the CwPAMS partnerships have achieved during the life of the programme. We are thrilled that some of the tools and learning they generated will now be available for other to benefit from.”

Louise McGrath, Director of Programmes for THET

Download the CwPAMS Toolkit Here