Improving Antibiotic Use in Wound Care: Understanding What Helps and Hinders Change
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) remains one of the greatest threats to global health. While antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) programmes are central to combating this crisis, their implementation in wound care is still underdeveloped. In a new Global Wound Care Journal article, Kate Williams, Associate Director of Wound Care at Accelerate CIC, explores the key barriers and enablers influencing strategies to reduce unnecessary antibiotic prescribing in wound management.
Drawing on a narrative review of international research, Kate identifies six key themes that shape effective AMS in wound care:
- Standardisation of care – Clear guidelines and clinical pathways improve antibiotic prescribing consistency.
- Leadership – Strong clinical and multidisciplinary leadership, particularly from pharmacists and infectious disease specialists, drives change.
- Education – Continuous learning for clinicians (and patients) supports responsible prescribing.
- Culture of change – Embedding AMS into clinical culture takes time and senior role modelling.
- Role of the pharmacist – Pharmacists play a crucial role in monitoring and advising on antibiotic use.
- Diagnostics – Better diagnostic tools, such as fluorescence imaging, can reduce unnecessary prescriptions.
The review highlights a lack of community-based studies, despite most wound care – and antibiotic use – occurring outside hospitals. Kate calls for future research into AMS in nurse-led and community settings to ensure that stewardship strategies are relevant, sustainable, and grounded in real-world practice.
“This paper provides a platform for further study rather than direct clinical change,” Kate concludes, underscoring the need for robust, multidisciplinary approaches to tackle antimicrobial resistance in wound care.
Read the full article in the Global Wound Care Journal (Vol. 1, Issue 2, 2025).