Antimicrobial Stewardship

Antimicrobial stewardship is essential to improving patient care and addressing the growing global challenge of antimicrobial resistance. It focuses on ensuring that anti‑infective therapies, including antibiotics, antifungals, and antivirals, are used thoughtfully and effectively, with the right treatment, dose, route, and duration tailored to each patient. As resistance continues to emerge worldwide, the way these therapies are used has far‑reaching consequences—misuse or overuse accelerates the development of drug‑resistant organisms and threatens the effectiveness of treatments that modern medicine relies on. At UBC, antimicrobial stewardship integrates research, clinical practice, and education to advance evidence‑based, patient‑centered care. By optimizing anti‑infective use, stewardship efforts lead to better patient outcomes, reduced adverse drug effects, lower rates of resistant infections such as Clostridioides difficile, and more sustainable use of healthcare resources, ultimately helping preserve these critical therapies for future generations.