About AASF
The mission of the Arkansas Antimicrobial Stewardship Foundation (AASF) is to advance public health by promoting responsible antimicrobial use, fostering multidisciplinary collaboration, and supporting evidence-based research to combat antibiotic resistance and improve patient
outcomes in Arkansas.
"If we use antibiotics when not needed, we may not have them when they are most needed.”
-Tom Frieden, MD, Former Director U.S. CDC
Our History
In 2019, a small group of infectious disease practitioners set out to establish the Arkansas Antimicrobial Stewardship Foundation (AASF) as a non-profit organization to serve the state of Arkansas. The group went so far as to establish Articles of Incorporation with the state on April 29, 2019. Tragically, the spearhead of the group lost her life in October of 2019 and soon after COVID-19 put the world on hold. The AASF fell into a state of dormancy with no forward progress or activity. In 2022, the decision was made to try again to establish AASF as a free-standing, nonprofit entity to continue the important mission previously set forth by the founding members.
Our Purpose
Antibiotics are necessary life saving medications but are not without risk. Antibiotic use contributes to the proliferation of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and Pew Trust, antibiotic resistance is one of the greatest public health challenges of modern times.
The CDC estimates that at least 2.8 million antibiotic-resistant infections occur in the United States each year, resulting in over 35,000 deaths. Additionally, antibiotic use carries the risk of severe adverse reactions. Antibiotics are implicated in nearly 20% of all emergency department visits for drug-related adverse events each year. Antibiotics should be used only to treat bacterial infections and should be prescribed only in doses and for durations appropriate for the patient and infection being treated. Yet, antibiotics are widely misused.
A primary strategy to slow the development of antibiotic resistant bacteria and reduce the harmful impacts of antibiotics is to identify and limit their inappropriate use.
In the outpatient setting, an average of 1.02 antibiotic prescriptions are written for each person in Arkansas every year, which places Arkansas as the 6th highest outpatient antibiotic prescribing state. At least 30% of antibiotic use in outpatient settings is unnecessary. In the long-term care setting, up to 70% of nursing home residents receive antibiotics each year. Of these, up to 75% are prescribed incorrectly. The problem of inappropriate antibiotics includes the in-patient setting as well. More than 50% of antibiotic prescribing for selected events in hospitals were not consistent with recommended prescribing practices.
The AASF is committed to improving antimicrobial stewardship practices in Arkansas. The AASF will achieve its mission by taking over the responsibility, organization and financial support of the annual Arkansas Summit for Antimicrobial Stewardship (ARSAS), distributing
educational material, and facilitating local stewardship initiatives and research. .