Antimicrobial stewardship is essential for safeguarding the effectiveness of antibiotics, now and for future generations.
This page provides practical guidance and resources to support antimicrobial stewardship in primary care.
Tackling antimicrobial resistance is a national priority. Northern Ireland contributes to the UK 5-year action plan for antimicrobial resistance 2024-2029 which sets out an ambition to reduce UK antimicrobial use in humans by 5% by 2029.
Primary care accounts for approximately 80% of antibiotic use in Northern Ireland, so has the opportunity to play a critical role in reducing unnecessary prescribing and helping to prevent resistant infections.
Why antimicrobial stewardship matters in primary care:
- Reduce the development and spread of antimicrobial resistance
- Preserve the effectiveness of existing antibiotics
- Minimise avoidable side effects and potential harm to patients
- Reduce repeat and future consultations associated with inappropriate antibiotic use
Putting antimicrobial stewardship into practice
- Prescribe antibiotics only when clearly indicated, avoiding use for viral and self‑limiting infections
- Follow NI formulary prescribing guidance, optimising antibiotic choice, dose and duration
- Review and audit antibiotic prescribing regularly to support ongoing improvement
- Engage and educate patients, providing self‑care advice and safety‑netting
Resources and tools
- NI formulary on EOLAS (formerly Microguide)
- TARGET toolkit – The TARGET (Treat Antibiotics Responsibly, Guidance, Education and Tools) toolkit aims to support primary care healthcare professionals to implement antimicrobial stewardship activities through education, guidance and resources. Examples include:
- Patient information leaflets including translations
- Audit templates and tools
- Urinary Tract Infections Diagnostic Decision Tools
- Northern Ireland Antimicrobial dashboard – see under “GP Practice Resources” for how to access
Links
- Northern Ireland Regional Infection, Prevention and Control Manual – NI Infection Control Manual
- Public Health Agency Keep Antibiotics Working resources and information on Antibiotic resistance
- NICE guidance (NG15) on Antimicrobial Stewardship
- PrescQIPP webkit on Antimicrobial stewardship