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Prospective Approach to Managing Antimicrobial Drug Shortages

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2015

Milena M. Griffith
Affiliation:
Department of Pharmacy Practice, Midwestern University Chicago College of Pharmacy, Downers Grove, Illinois Department of Pharmacy, Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Chicago, Illinois Antimicrobial Stewardship Program, Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Chicago, Illinois
Jean A. Patel
Affiliation:
Department of Pharmacy, Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Chicago, Illinois Antimicrobial Stewardship Program, Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Chicago, Illinois
Sarah H. Sutton
Affiliation:
Antimicrobial Stewardship Program, Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Chicago, Illinois Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois
Maureen K. Bolon
Affiliation:
Antimicrobial Stewardship Program, Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Chicago, Illinois Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois
John S. Esterly
Affiliation:
Department of Pharmacy, Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Chicago, Illinois Antimicrobial Stewardship Program, Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Chicago, Illinois Department of Pharmacy Practice, Chicago State University College of Pharmacy, Chicago, Illinois
Alan E. Gross
Affiliation:
Department of Pharmacy Practice, Midwestern University Chicago College of Pharmacy, Downers Grove, Illinois Department of Pharmacy, Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Chicago, Illinois Antimicrobial Stewardship Program, Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Chicago, Illinois
Michael J. Postelnick
Affiliation:
Department of Pharmacy, Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Chicago, Illinois Antimicrobial Stewardship Program, Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Chicago, Illinois
Teresa R. Zembower
Affiliation:
Antimicrobial Stewardship Program, Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Chicago, Illinois Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois
Marc H. Scheetz*
Affiliation:
Department of Pharmacy Practice, Midwestern University Chicago College of Pharmacy, Downers Grove, Illinois Department of Pharmacy, Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Chicago, Illinois Antimicrobial Stewardship Program, Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Chicago, Illinois
*
Midwestern University Chicago College of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmacy Practice, 555 31st Street, Downers Grove, IL 60515 (mscheetz@nmh.org)

Extract

Antimicrobial drug shortages continue to increase, with few new therapeutic options available. Nationally, proposals have been offered to alleviate drug shortages; however, these recommendations are unlikely to effect change in the near future. Thus, antimicrobial stewardship leaders in acute care hospitals must develop a prospective management strategy to lessen the impact of these shortages on patient care. Herein, we describe several resources available to aid professionals in antimicrobial stewardship and healthcare epidemiology to manage drug shortages. An effective approach should include prospectively tracking shortages and maximizing inventory by appropriately managing usage. Several tenets should underpin this management. Alternative agents should be rationally chosen before the inventory of the primary agent has reached zero, ethical considerations should be taken into account, and timely notification and communication with key stakeholders should occur throughout the prescribing and dispensing process.

Type
Review Article
Copyright
Copyright © The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America 2012

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