A recent study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Pew Charitable Trust has recognized and quantified a rise in antibiotic resistance. In 2015, The Joint Commission and CMS proposed new standards for healthcare providers to start an Antimicrobial /Antibiotic Stewardship Program. The Joint Commission provided a set of 7 recommended standards for critical access hospitals. Carthage Area Hospital has taken a proactive approach and has instituted its own program, which meets all but one of the standards. The seventh standard will be met after the program has had time to mature and trends can be tracked and measured.
In addition to the Director of Pharmacy, the hospital has hired a clinical pharmacist that works with a multi-disciplinary team to ensure patients receive the best care. The team is comprised of providers, physical therapy, dietary services, social work, nursing, and pharmacy that meet daily and review the care of all admitted patients daily.
“By coming together and working as a team, everyone is able to bring something from their specialty to the table which only enhances patient care,” Christopher Bradley, Pharm.D, MBA, RPh adds.
When a patient is admitted and an infection is suspected, the patient has cultures drawn and sent to the lab after the patient is placed on a probable antibiotic for the infection. The lab is able to do sensitivity testing and produce a “culture and sensitivity,” report that tells what antibiotic the infection, otherwise known as a “bug”, is susceptible to. Using national treatment standard guidelines, as well as culture and sensitivity report, physicians are able to place patients on optimal therapy for their infection. Antibiotic therapy is then assessed by a clinical pharmacist to ensure the patient is on what is best for them. Dr. Bradley also adds that the days of giving multiple antibiotics to kill all of an infection are over. “The whole point of antimicrobial stewardship is to pick the right drug for the right bug, not the right four drugs for one bug,” says Bradley. He adds that certain infections require two antibiotics, such as community acquired pneumonia.
“Not only have we seen better patient outcomes, this also has decreased costs for hospital stays for patients because they are not receiving more drugs than needed, “ says Rich Duvall, Chief Executive Officer.