NEWS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Jenny DesVaux Oakes
(702) 242-7155

“Nevadans for Antibiotic Awareness” kicks off public awareness campaign to address important public health issue

Las Vegas, October 24, 2001 - Nevadans for Antibiotic Awareness (NAA), a statewide task force of more than 30 public and private agencies/companies, will introduce and kick off its public awareness campaign to educate Nevadans about the dangers of inappropriate/unnecessary use of antibiotics that lead to the proliferation of drug-resistant bacteria. Recognizing the potential impact of this issue and its timeliness, Governor Kenny Guinn is scheduled to participate in the kick-off event and will proclaim the week of October 29 – November 4, 2001, as Antibiotic Awareness Week in Nevada. The event is scheduled for Monday, October 29, 2001, at 11:30 a.m. in the chairman’s auditorium of the Sierra Health Services complex at 2700 North Tenaya Way.

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has identified the increasing numbers of bacteria resistant to antibiotics as one of the significant public health issues worldwide. Nevada, in partnership with the CDC, joins approximately 30 other states in developing public awareness programs to combat the spread of antibiotic resistance. Facts indicate that more than 70 percent of bacteria that cause infections in hospitals are already resistant to at least one of the antibiotic drugs most commonly used to treat infections. The recent cases of anthrax and the resultant rush by unexposed citizens to obtain and begin taking the powerful and potentially life-saving antibiotic Cipro raises this issue to an even greater level of importance.

“It is vital that Nevadans and all Americans understand the need to use antibiotics appropriately in order to help prevent the development of drug-resistant bacteria,” said Christine Petersen, M.D., chairman, public awareness committee, NAA. “Patients often demand antibiotics, even when their illnesses are viral in nature and will not respond to antibiotics. According to the CDC, more than 50 million of the 150 million prescriptions written each year for patients outside of a hospital setting are unnecessary,” she added.

The statewide campaign, developed through the voluntary services of committee members and Virgen Advertising (offering its services pro-bono), will be financed by both public and private sector contributors and will include radio and television spots, brochures, posters, provider education packets and other collateral pieces. The message of the NAA campaign is simple. People should take antibiotics only when their illnesses are diagnosed by a physician/medical provider as bacterial, and then, only as prescribed and under the supervision of these medical professionals.

To date, NAA has developed healthcare guidelines, begun provider education and distributed educational materials to preschool/childcare centers. NAA task force members include physicians, microbiologists, pharmacists, hospital infection control practitioners, healthcare companies, and state and local health officials. The NAA executive committee is comprised of representatives from the Clark County Health District, Health Plan of Nevada, Sunrise Hospital, Desert Springs Hospital, the University of Nevada School of Medicine, Nevada Department of Health, Health Insight and Sierra Health Services.

For additional information on NAA, please call (702) 242-7784.