What research would you like to see in the future?

I would like to see more studies done on shortening the duration of antibiotic prescriptions. There are not financial incentives for drug companies to invest in studies to limit use of their antibiotic, so we need to support other institutions to do these studies.

- Amy Dechet, MD, Infectious Diseases Physician, Faculty of Internal Medicine Residency Program at Portland Providence Medical Center

I would like to see more research on disparities in antibiotic prescribing. Studies have shown that disparities exist based on race, sex, age, socioeconomic factors, and geography, which likely mirror broader healthcare inequities in the U.S. But I am interested in whether there are factors unique to antibiotic prescribing. For example, a clinician's decision to prescribe antibiotics may involve more than just clinical factors; social pressures from patients and their families may also play a role. Understanding how these dynamics, conscious and unconscious, are influenced by factors like race, sex, and culturally specific communication styles would be really valuable.

- Liz Breitenstein, PharmD, Antimicrobial Stewardship Pharmacist at Oregon Health Authority

There is ongoing research on new antibiotics, new non-antibiotic treatment options (e.g. phage therapy) and new diagnostic options.  These are exciting and highly valuable areas of research.  But no matter what tool comes to market, it can't help people if they are not used appropriately.  While this seems simple enough, quality implementation can be very challenging because when new products first come to market, we have limited information on in whom they are effective and how the new product might work in the real world.  Real-world studies and implementation research is essential to ensure that new products really provide the public with the benefits they were intended to provide.

- Jessina C McGregor, PhD, Professor, Oregon State University College of Pharmacy

One encouraging thing I've seen in recent years are well-done studies showing that in some cases, shorter courses of antibiotics – for pneumonia, for intra-abdominal infections – are just as effective as longer courses, and less likely to select for resistant organisms. Seeing more studies showing similar effectiveness with shorter courses of antibiotics would be helpful.

- Paul R. Cieslak, MD, Infectious Disease Physician, Medical Director of Communicable Diseases and Immunizations at Oregon Health Authority

Many physicians and pharmacists have formal training and stewardship responsibilities which undoubtedly impacts patient care and saves health systems money. However, currently there is no reimbursement or compensation for these required activities. More research and advocacy needs be done for the ability for stewardship services to be billable and/or to generate revenue.

- Jeremy Tigh, PharmD, BCIDP, Antimicrobial Stewardship Pharmacist, Samaritan Health Services