Special Projects

Below is a highlight of special projects ARAC has undertaken. 

Certified Responsible Antibiotic Use (CRAU)
The Certified Responsible Antibiotic Use (CRAU) standard is the first responsible use standard certified by USDA that allows for minimal use of medically important antibiotics in poultry production, and only those prescribed by a licensed veterinarian. Verification by USDA, a government agency accountable to Congress and the public, is essential to ensuring the integrity of CRAU. Poultry companies interested in meeting CRAU must undergo regular USDA audits to verify conformance. Learn more

Antibiotic Stewardship in Consumer-Driven Healthcare Sectors
The main consumer-driven healthcare sectors in the U.S. include telemedicine, retail clinics, and urgent care. Urgent care is the largest consumer-driven healthcare sector that now accounts for 80 to 100 million patient visits each year. As a growing outpatient sector, urgent care has a unique opportunity to significantly improve outpatient antibiotic prescribing, enhance patient care quality, and combat antibiotic resistance. Yet, a number of factors hinder the initiation, continual improvement, and evaluation of antibiotic stewardship activities in this setting. As a result, ARAC is working with key stakeholders in the urgent care sector, together with academic and governmental partners, to address these challenges to improve antibiotic stewardship. Learn more