The Threat of AMR
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is one of the most daunting challenges of our time. The misuse and overuse of antimicrobials have accelerated the spread of resistance, undermining the effectiveness of these crucial medications and posing a severe threat to public health. In Canada, AMR currently claims thousands of lives and costs billions of dollars annually. Recognizing the urgency of this issue, the Government of Canada has launched a strategy to optimize antimicrobial use across the nation.
"The Government of Canada is proud to be working with our partners to develop evidence-based national antimicrobial prescribing guidelines and make them easily accessible to physicians and healthcare prescribers at point-of-care leveraging Canadian digital innovation. This will be a key tool in ensuring the appropriate and responsible use of antibiotics for humans and contribute to the overall action against antimicrobial resistance.”
“Firstline is delighted to be deploying our service and technology to manage and distribute national antimicrobial prescribing guidance for the Government of Canada. Our experiences partnering with the World Health Organization, other governments and healthcare organizations give Firstline a unique ability to deliver clinical guidance that produces real-world improvements in patient care. Having deployed more sophisticated antimicrobial stewardship interventions around the world than any other organization, we are proud to play a national role in supporting healthcare providers at home in Canada.”
“Canada’s adoption and adaptation of guidelines based on the WHO’s AWaRe system and antibiotic book shows that AWaRe is a useful tool to improve antibiotic prescribing worldwide. We are confident that this project, which also provides digital access to guidance at the point of care, will be a valuable support for prescribers.”
"We are immensely proud to support Firstline's groundbreaking leadership in the development and global deployment of its data-sharing platform to combat antimicrobial resistance. This announcement is a tremendous achievement for British Columbia-led innovation and a remarkable milestone, benefitting people in Canada and around the world with more informed, evidence-based care in prescription guidance."