Nation’s Largest Hospital Pharmacy Services Provider Offers Hospitals Roadmap to Combat Antibiotic Misuse
Memphis, TN – March 6, 2014: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a report
this week warning that many hospitals across the country overuse or misuse antibiotics, fueling the
growth of drug-resistant bacteria and adding to a significant long-term public health threat. The CDC
findings led Comprehensive Pharmacy Services (CPS), the nation’s largest hospital pharmacy services
provider to more than 400 hospitals and health care facilities, to issue an alert on antibiotic abuse and
offer a best practice prevention program to all hospitals.
"We’ve known for years that over utilization of antibiotics is not just a problem; it is a serious public health
threat which warrants the CDC’s attention, and it’s why hospitals need to continuously and vigilantly
address it," said Len Gray, Pharm D, Regional Vice President for Clinical Services and Data
Management for CPS. "Organisms are remarkably resilient and can quickly develop resistance to
overused antibiotics, with multidrug resistant infections creating the potential of a ‘super bug’ that poses
additional threats to patients."
Gray explained that hospitals need to achieve three key strategic goals to effectively reduce the overuse
of antibiotics: deploy strategies to reduce or reverse antimicrobial resistance; prevent antimicrobialrelated
toxicity; and reduce inappropriate antimicrobial use and health care-associated infections.
CPS has been providing pharmacy services to hospitals for more than 40 years, and has developed an
evidence-based antibiotic stewardship program focused on best pharmacy practices for hospitals to
follow, which include:
1. The Team: Establish a multidisciplinary antimicrobial stewardship team that includes a physician,
pharmacist, clinical microbiologist or lab rep, IT specialist, and infection control. This team should
meet periodically and collaborate with key departments throughout the hospital.
2. Protection Protocols: Implement protocols for surveillance and prevention from multidrugresistant
organisms and the potential for super bugs and other infections that can put patients at
risk.
3. Clinical Guidelines and Pharmacy Interventions: Maintain guidelines and drug use criteria for
antimicrobial therapy, including appropriate empiric therapy, dose optimization, and therapy deescalation.
4. Competency Assessment: Assess the pharmacist’s ability to perform a list of core functions
critical to preventing antibiotic overuse.
5. Implementation: Fully implement the plan across the organization, ensure sustainability through
ongoing monitoring and provide hospital staff with continuous education on effective use of
antibiotics, infections, multidrug-resistant organisms and prevention strategies.
About Comprehensive Pharmacy Services:
Employing over 1,800 pharmacy professionals, CPS is the nation’s largest provider of pharmacy services
to more than 400 hospitals and healthcare facilities leading to sustainable improved quality and reduced
cost. CPS services include pharmacy consulting, inpatient and outpatient pharmacy management,
telepharmacy and transition of care services. For more information, visit www.cpspharm.com
Contact:
Greg Wenthe
Vice President, Marketing
Comprehensive Pharmacy Services
Tel: (901) 748-0470 Email: greg.wenthe@cpspharm.com
