Am J Clin Microbiol Antimicrob | Volume 2, Issue 2 | Research Article | Open Access

Improved Resistance and Decreased Expense Resulting from an Antimicrobial Stewardship Program at a Community Teaching Hospital

Craig Sastic1*, Joseph Alessandrini2 and David Kaufman3

1Department of Pharmacy Services, Inspira Medical Center Vineland, USA
2Department of Clinical Services, Inspira Medical Centers Elmer and Vineland, USA
3Department of Infectious Disease Physician, USA

*Correspondance to: Craig Sastic 

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Abstract

Objectve: The Inspira Health Network Antimicrobial Stewardship Program sought to optimize therapy through a multitude of interventions to improve patient care, increase bacterial susceptibility, and reduce healthcare expense. Setting: Inspira Health Network includes a system of three inpatient community hospitals in southern New Jersey.
Methods: We report the 10 year experience of our Antimicrobial Stewardship Program (ASP) providing a timeline summarizing all formal interventions.
Results: During the 10 years of the ASP our hospital experienced significant decreases in antimicrobial expenditures expressed as gross cost, cost per patient admission and as a percentage of total pharmaceutical expenditures with an estimated savings of over $4,000,000. Concurrently, we experienced a large decrease in resistant organisms including Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Klebsiella pneumoniae.
Conclusion: An ASP can be successfully pursued in the community hospital setting by utilizing key members of the existing professional staff without widespread, labor-intensive procedures. The positive results of our program came from the cooperation and hard work of its members, the relatively small size of the institution, the strong professional relationships between healthcare providers, and a consistent message relating the importance of stewardship initiatives across the healthcare system.

Citation:

Sastic C, Alessandrini J, Kaufman D. Improved Resistance and Decreased Expense Resulting from an Antimicrobial Stewardship Program at a Community Teaching Hospital. Am J Clin Microbiol Antimicrob. 2019; 2(2): 1037.

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