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CEERI 14 - PORT PERRY STAR - Tuesday, April 18, 2000 "Scugog's Community Newspaper of Choice" PAACT aims to reduce unnecessary use of antibiotics Home-grown project receives recognition A study published in the medical journal Canadian Family Physician shows how a community health "project initiated here improved the pre- scribing and use of antibi- otics. The "Pilot for Appropriate Anti-infective Community Therapy" (PAACT) study was carried out in Port Perry under the leadership of local family physician Dr. John Stewart. "Our vision was to demonstrate that a grass- roots, cooperative educa- tional program can improve the use of antibi- otics and the overall health of our community," said Dr. Stewart. G Crananeo * VIPER and FARMLINE are registered !rademans of Amencan Cyanamd Company Physicians that were part of the community- based educational pro- gram were more than twice as likely to follow estab- lished treatment guide- lines than their colleagues in the rest of the province. The program resulted in an overall 10 per cent reduc- tion in antibiotic use and physicians were 29 per cent less likely to pre- scribe a second-line drug. Reducing inappropriate antibiotic use is important because it minimizes the emergence of drug-resis- tant bacteria (or "super- bugs") that have appeared recently in several Canadian hospitals and which are a concern world- iV parpeliuicy Suns it was. STE GT R217: a ae wide. PAACT is unique in being sponsored by a pub- lic-private coalition, including both the Ontario Ministry of Health and the pharmaceutical industry. "The publication of this study in a peer-reviewed medical journal gives us the credibility we need to say to the government 'this works - it helps improve the use of antibiotics," said Dr. Stewart. "The pay- off will come not only in healthier communities and fruitful, long-term partner- ships, but in better value for drug plan dollars and, most importantly, poten- tially fewer 'super bugs." The program in Port Success story #0. , (DF: VTS I = FT 2), Dr. John Stewart Perry educated physicians, pharmacists and patients on when antibiotics should be used (and when they should not), and which antibiotics are appropriate in different situations. Participation in the pro- gram is recognized by the College of Family Physicians and earns physicians continuing edu- cation credits. Partnerships with regional public health units have also been established to convey key messages to Mackey & Bailey Bammister & Solicitor the public. This approach creates a more informed environment about the use of antibiotics in the whole community. Education is based on the Anti-infective for Community-acquired Infections, treatment guidelines that were developed by an indepen- dent panel of physicians and pharmacists and sup- ported by the provincial government. The third edi- tion of the Anti-infective guidelines is due to be released shortly. "These guidelines are popular with clinicians because they were created with the patient in mind and not as a cost-contain- ment tool," said Dr Stewart. "Physicians are justifiably wary of restric- tive methods of influenc- ing prescribing that are based on economic rea- sons. It's much better to have clinical decisions made on professional expertise and education Saturdays Moming by SAN Oshawa Rd., Port Peny Lake Scugog Lumber Building Mon.-Fri. 436-7600 Sat. am. 985-7391 Farm & R Rural Life Your local agricultural voice DISTRIBUTED TO 5000 FARMS IN DURHAM, PETERBOROUGH AND VICTORIA COUNTY. Next issue deadline is April 20, or For more information call 905-985-7383 DUNHAM HE CION Blue Box collection in the Township of Scugog normally scheduled for Good Friday on April 21st has been rescheduled to Saturday, April 22nd. Blue Box collection in the Township of Scugog normally scheduled for Easter Monday, April 24th has been rescheduled to the following Monday, May 1st. Refer to your Year 2000 Region of Durham Curbside Blue Box Collection Schedule for collection dates. Call the Region of Durham Works Department at (905) 579-5264 or 1-800-667-5671 for more information. V.A. SILGAILIS, P. ENG. COMMISSIONER OF WORKS HOLIDAY BLUE BOX - COLLECTION IN THE TOWNSHIP OF SCUGOG than purely economics." The program has been very well received in the participating communities and plans are currently under way for a province- wide expansion. Following the pilot in Port Perry the program has been run in eight additional rural and urban sites, including Fergus, Orangeville, Brampton, Oshawa, Newmarket, East Toronto, Richmond Hill, Barry's Bay and Markham. PAACT ini- tiatives are planned to begin this fall in cities and communities across Ontario. Physicians from each community will be trained to lead local edu- cation programs at confer- ences in Ottawa and Toronto this summer. Communities that are sending physicians to be trained to lead PAACT pro- grams include Orillia, London, Ottawa, Niagara, and Pembroke. The study leaders are optimistic that treatment in other areas, for example cardiovascular and respira- tory illness, could be improved using this edu- cational approach. "It's refreshing to see a grass- roots solution that cuts through all the political rhetoric and aetually works. Local health profession- als are the natural choice to provide leadership in the area of community health education," said Dr. Walter Rosser, chair and professor at the Department of Family and Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, at the University of Toronto, a partner in he project. Health * Minister Elizabeth Witmer was also impressed with the poten- tial of the PAACT approach to improve the use of health resources. "The province really stepped up and delivered by funding the pilot pro- ject and the training of local physicians to lead it in their communities," said Dr. Stewart. "Canada has a chance to be a world leader in fight- ing bacterial resistance. We now know that grass- roots education can pro- vide a solution and that we need a séfious commit- ment by thé major health care stakeholders to get Ontario 7 communities involved. In two months we'll have doctors trained and ready to move for- ward, but as of now we don't have the money to print the education materi- als and cover other basic costs."