Antimicrobial Stewardship Program - Provider Information

Provincial Antimicrobial Stewardship Program

The Provincial Antimicrobial Stewardship Program supports the appropriate use of antimicrobials across the Saskatchewan Health Authority. We work with healthcare teams throughout the province to improve patient outcomes, reduce antimicrobial resistance, and promote evidence-informed antimicrobial use through clinical guidance, education, quality improvement, and performance measurement.

Antimicrobial Stewardship Resources

Saskatchewan Health Authority Antimicrobial Restriction Policies

Some antimicrobials require additional approval or have specific prescribing requirements within the Saskatchewan Health Authority. Health care providers should consult the SHA Drug Formulary and the SHA Drug Formulary Antimicrobial Prescribing Restriction Policy for information on antimicrobial restrictions, prescribing criteria, and approval requirements.

FirstLine

The Saskatchewan Health Authority uses Firstline to provide health care workers with evidence-based clinical guidelines, antimicrobial formulary and dosing recommendations, pathogen information, current antimicrobial susceptibility data, and clinical tools (e.g., penicillin allergy delabelling). Visit their website or search for “Firstline” wherever you get your apps to download the free app on your mobile device.

Antibiogram

Local antibiograms for the various regions in Saskatchewan can be accessed through the Firstline app. If you would like to access a PDF version of your local antibiogram, please visit the Saskatchewan Health Authority Library website to view the most recent antibiogram files.

Choosing Wisely Canada

For more information and tools to help promote antimicrobial stewardship in your clinic or facility, please visit Choosing Wisely Canada’s website to view their recommendations for Using Antibiotics Wisely in Primary Care and Using Antibiotics Wisely in Long-Term Care.

Viral Prescription Pad

The viral prescription pad outlines symptom management options for patients with viral upper respiratory tract infections. It is a useful tool for providing information to patients while avoiding unnecessary antibiotic prescriptions. Choosing Wisely Canada has made the viral prescription pad available for both pediatric and adult patients, along with instructions for how to incorporate these tools into your EMR. The adult viral prescription pad is even available in multiple languages.