InterHealth Canada – TCI Hospital hosts 1st Antimicrobial Stewardship Workshop

#Providenciales, October 24, 2019 – Turks and Caicos – Over 50 health care practitioners participated in the first Antimicrobial Stewardship Workshop hosted by InterHealth Canada – Turks and Caicos Islands Hospital to examine topics related to antimicrobial resistance and infectious diseases.

The workshop was held on Tuesday, October 8th 2019 at Cockburn Town Medical Centre and Thursday, October 10th 2019 at Cheshire Hall Medical Centre. Dr Corey Forde, Infectious Disease, Infection Prevention and Control, Antimicrobial Resistance and Stewardship Consultant of Barbados was the guest presenter. Forde gave a presentation on notifiable disease reporting, surveillance and the effective implementation of an antimicrobial stewardship program. 

The cadre of presenters included a medical doctor, laboratory technologist, pharmacy manager and nurse educator employed at Turks and Caicos Islands Hospital. Other topics examined included drug preparation and therapeutic drug monitoring, antibiotic resistance patterns in TCI, antimicrobial strategies for nurses, doctors and sampling techniques.

Real case scenarios were provided for attendees to complete prescription writing using antimicrobial stewardship guidelines. Antimicrobial resistance is the ability of a microbe to resist the effects of medication that once could successfully treat the microbe. Resistant microbes are more difficult to treat, requiring more powerful antibiotics.

Commenting on the workshop, Isha Honore, Quality, Risk and Patient Safety Manager with responsibility for the Infection Prevention and Control Department said: “The Antimicrobial workshop was very successful and marks a significant milestone for the TCI Hospital as we address the global challenge of antimicrobial resistance. The success of the antimicrobial stewardship program calls for unity and collaboration of all stakeholders. This workshop helps to start the necessary conversations that further drive programs and practice interventions that promote patient safety education.”  

Release: InterHealth Canada

Photo Captions:

Header: Guest PresenterDr Corey Forde of Barbados and IHC Education Manager, Jacqueline Moe-Cox

Insert: Workshop session held at Cheshire Hall Medical Centre