DEVELOPING AND EVALUATING AN INTEGRATED ANTIMICROBIAL STEWARDSHIP AND INFECTION PREVENTION AND CONTROL TRAINING PROGRAM FOR PRIMARY CARE PHYSICIANS IN TÜRKİYE: A PILOT STUDY

Objective: This study aimed to develop and evaluate the effectiveness of a structured training program integrating antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) and infection prevention and control (IPC) for primary care physicians.Material and Method: We developed a structured AMS–IPC training program for primary care physicians. The program was conducted in Ankara, Türkiye with 34 participants, and knowledge level of each participant was assessed using a pre-test, a post-test, and a follow-up test conducted three months after the training.Result and Discussion: The mean pre-test score was 9.91 out of a maximum of 18 points, which increased to 14.74 out of 18 in the post-test, indicating a statistically significant improvement. (p<0.001). The mean score at the three-month follow-up was 13.1, demonstrating that most of the knowledge gained was retained (p<0.001). The findings demonstrate that integrated AMS and IPC training programs at the primary care level result in significant and sustained knowledge gains and serve as an effective capacity-building tool in combating AMR.Keywords: Antimicrobial stewardship, infection prevention and control, primary healthcare services, training