What does CARS mean in HEALTHCARE

Control of Antimicrobial Resistance Scotland (CARS) is a government-funded organisation which works to reduce antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in Scottish hospitals and other healthcare settings.

CARS works to prevent the development and spread of resistant bacteria, fungi, parasites and viruses. This includes hospital-acquired infections, community-associated infections, long-term antimicrobial use and inappropriate prescribing.

CARS encourages the responsible use of antibiotics by collaborating with health organisations and engaging with patients. In addition, CARS promotes the implementation of infection prevention and control measures within healthcare settings as well as providing infection prevention education materials for individual healthcare professionals.

You can help by avoiding overuse or misuse of antibiotics. Always follow your doctor's instructions when taking antibiotics and never take someone else’s prescription. Additionally, good hygiene practices such as regular hand washing are effective ways to help reduce the spread of antibiotic resistant bacteria.

Resources can be accessed via the official website at https://www.cars.scot/resources/. These resources include training materials, guidance documents, factsheets, posters and resources for patient education.

Yes, CARS provides ongoing support for health care professionals through training workshops held on AMR related topics such as drug stewardship best practices and strategies for reducing antibiotic overuse in primary care settings.

Yes, educational programs are available that raise awareness about how proper use of antibiotics helps reduce AMR risks. The free online program ‘Antibiotic Guardian’ has been developed to educate the public on how their actions contribute towards increasing antibiotic resistance in Scotland (https://betaappstorescotnhsnet-antibioticguardianpublicdashboardwebappscotlandnhsnet/).

The documents are developed by a multi-disciplinary team consisting of various experts from several different areas such as microbiologists, infection control practitioners and pharmacists among others.

Yes, patient involvement is a core component of many of CARS' initiatives as it recognizes that patients have an important role to play in promoting responsible antibiotic use. This includes patient education campaigns designed to raise awareness around AMR both in terms of its effects on individual health as well as its wider implications such as its potential impact on population health.

Yes absolutely! Safety is always prioritised when developing any interventions that aim to reduce AMR; this includes providing adequate staff training so they have access to the most up-to-date information about safe antibiotic prescribing practices.