CMS Proposes Making Antibiotic Stewardship Programs Mandatory

Last week, CMS published a list of proposed rule changes for hospitals and laboratories. One of the more notable proposals would make antibiotic stewardship programs (ASP) mandatory. ASPs are considered a way to prevent antibiotic misuse and the spread of drug-resistant disease.

“We propose to change the introductory paragraph (in Infection Control Condition of Participation §482.42) to require that a hospital’s infection prevention and control of antibiotic stewardship programs be active and hospital wide for the surveillance, prevention, and control of HAIs and other infectious diseases, and for the optimization of antibiotic use through stewardship,” according to the proposed rule.

Only 40% of U.S. hospitals have an antibiotic stewardship program and an estimated 30% to 50% of prescribed antibiotics are unnecessary or inappropriate. In the U.S., drug-resistant diseases cause 23,000 deaths and 2 million illnesses each year.

The document also included changes to patient rights, restraint usage, physician assistants, medical records, diet orders, periodic evaluations, and several more. Read the full list of changes here.

Just yesterday, The Joint Commission announced it will roll out a similar standard effective January 1, 2017. The new Medication Management standard (MM.09.01.01) requires facilities to create an effective ASP. The standard applies to hospitals, critical access hospitals, and nursing care centers.

Healthcare professionals can comment on the proposed CMS rules until 5 p.m. on August 15, 2016. Comments can be sent via mail to CMS or online.