Beyond the Pink Bubblegum Medicine: Antimicrobial Stewardship with Dr. Star Cervantes

Dr. Brian Borah chats with Dr. Estrella “Star” Cervantes, an infectious disease antimicrobial stewardship pharmacist with Chicago Department of Public Health. While Dr. Cervantes’s title might sound complex, the impact of her work is something everyone can relate to. When Dr. Cervantes would feel sick as a child, her parents would take her to the doctor for a treatment of the familiar pink bubblegum liquid—amoxicillin, an antibiotic. However, during her time in pharmacy school, Cervantes learned of the adverse effects associated with overuse and overprescribing of antibiotics. Now, she leads efforts in antimicrobial stewardship, collaborating with healthcare providers across Chicago to enhance medication safety and ensure that antibiotic prescriptions are used appropriately and effectively. To find out more about Chicago’s antimicrobial stewardship program, visit: https://www.chicagohan.org/antimicrobial-stewardship-program