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Antimicrobial/Antibiotic Drug Case Study
Study of 180 U.S. Hospitals on Antibiotic Over-Prescribing Impact Reveals Steps
U.S. Hospitals Can Take to Combat Antibiotic Overuse and Reduce Use by 11.4%
THE CHALLENGE:
Though antibiotics have transformed the practice of medicine, the Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warn that 20-50% of all antibiotics
prescribed in U.S. acute care hospitals are either unnecessary or inappropriate.
The misuse of antibiotics has contributed to the growing problem of antibiotic
resistance, which has become one of the most serious threats to public health.1
More than two million people are infected with antibiotic-resistant organisms
each year, resulting in approximately 23,000 deaths annually.2 According to
the World Health Organization (WHO), antimicrobial resistance threatens the
effective prevention and treatment of an ever-increasing range of infections
caused by bacteria, parasites, viruses and fungi.3
In response, the Joint Commission published a new Medication Management
(MM) standard for hospitals, critical access hospitals and nursing care centers,
which became effective January 1, 2017, emphasizing the need to reduce
use of inappropriate antimicrobials in all health care settings, and requiring
hospitals to have an antimicrobial stewardship program that is based on
current scientific literature.4
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) proposed new rule
(June 2016) requires hospitals to reduce antibiotic use in order to participate
in Medicare or Medicaid and states that hospitals must appoint designated,
qualified leaders for those antimicrobial stewardship programs.5,6
To support hospital and health systems in meeting the Joint Commission
standard and the CMS proposed rule, Comprehensive Pharmacy Services
(CPS) launched the first of its kind Antimicrobial Stewardship Solution,
based on an expansive study of 180 U.S. hospitals through its Antimicrobial
Stewardship Pilot Program.
1 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Core Elements of Hospital Antibiotic Stewardship Programs. Accessed August 15, 2016. https://www.cdc.gov/
getsmart/healthcare/implementation/core-elements.html
2 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Antibiotic Resistance Threats in the United States, 2013. Atlanta, GA: CDC; 2013. Accessed April 4, 2017. https://
www.cdc.gov/drugresistance/pdf/ar-threats-2013-508.pdf
3 World Health Organization. Antimicrobial Resistance. (Updated: Apr 2015.) Accessed April 4, 2017. http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs194/en/#
4 Approved: New Antimicrobial Stewardship Standard. Accessed April 24, 2017. https://www.jointcommission.org/assets/1/6/New_Antimicrobial_Stewardship_
Standard.pdf
5 CMS.gov. CMS Issues Proposed Rule that Prohibits Discrimination, Reduces Hospital-Acquired Conditions, and Promotes Antibiotic Stewardship in U.S.
Hospitals. Accessed April 24, 2017. https://www.cms.gov/Newsroom/MediaReleaseDatabase/Fact-sheets/2016-Fact-sheets-items/2016-06-13.html
6 Becker’s Hospital Review. Infection Control & Clinical Quality: CMS’ proposed rule for hospitals: Reduce antibiotic use or exit Medicare. Accessed April 24,
2017. http://www.beckershospitalreview.com/quality/cms-proposed-rule-for-hospitals-reduce-antibiotic-use-or-exit-medicare.html
MORE THAN TWO
MILLION PEOPLE
are infected with
antibiotic-resistant
organisms each year,
RESULTING IN
APPROXIMATELY 23,000
DEATHS ANNUALLY.
The Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention (CDC) warn that
20-50%
OF ALL ANTIBIOTICS
PRESCRIBED IN U.S.
acute care hospitals are
either unnecessary
or inappropriate.
4/21/17 10:51 AM
CASE STUDY
Polk’s Drugs is a small chain of pharmacies based in
Mississippi. The Ocean Springs store, which opened
about a year ago, is unique in that it also includes a
gas station.
For manager Jesse Murphy, PharmD, choosing
the right technology was crucial to ensuring his
pharmacy not only opened with a strong start,
but continued to grow and operate as ef ciently
as possible.
“Our greatest concerns as we look toward the future
are looking for ways to improve our prof tability,
maintain patient safety and implement technology,”
Murphy said.
QS/1 has helped Murphy address many of those
concerns. As the next generation of pharmacy
management software, SharpRx®’s powerful yet
intuitive system made a lasting impression. “When
they showed me their new product, SharpRx, I was
impressed and hoped to switch as soon as possible,”
he said.
Intuitive and Easy-to-Use
“SharpRx’s greatest benef t is how intuitive the
system is,” Murphy said. “Some of the traditional
pharmacy systems that have been around for many
years may be very powerful, but a lot of that power
comes at a cost of complexity.”
SharpRx has a lot of the same power without the
complexity. “It was obviously designed with the idea
that you let the software do the work, and that’s
probably what impressed me most,” he said. “Things
that would have hidden settings or would be dif cult
to do with other systems are very intuitive and easy
to f gure out with SharpRx.”
“I think an individual could sit down with SharpRx
and, after a few minutes, f ll a prescription easily.
That’s not something that we can say with
other systems.”
Polk’s Drugs transitions to next generation of
pharmacy management with the help of QS/1®
“It was obviously designed with the idea that you
let the software do the work, and that’s probably
what impressed me most.”
Jesse Murphy, PharmD
CASE STUDY
www.tcgrx.com
Clif Holt
President/Pharmacist
~ Hurricane Family Pharmacy
Hurricane, UT
PRIMARY INTENDED OUTCOME
Inventory is typically a retail pharmacy’s largest fnancial asset. One key decision
for every pharmacy manager is how much inventory to keep on hand. Having too
much inventory can mean less available cash; too little inventory, however, creates an
inability to fll prescriptions in a timely manner and a loss of patients.
Success relies on the pharmacy manager’s ability to maintain accurate and current
records of drugs on the shelves, as well as prescriptions flled. Efectively, inventory
management accuracy is critical to ensuring retail pharmacy proftability.
One company, TCGRx, is leading the way in efortless perpetual inventory control. Its
Beacon system makes it truly possible for pharmacies to do more with less.
THE CHALLENGE
One of today’s greatest challenges in pharmacy is the continued and growing high
cost of drugs and an unprecedented boom in treatment innovations. In 2015, total
drug spending in the United States reached $364 billion, with $98 billion attributed to
specialty drugs. By 2020, expenditures are expected to reach $483 billion overall and
$212 billion for specialty meds. For pharmacy owners, this environment equates to a
huge amount of benefcial, valuable inventory to manage — and protect.
The TCGRx Beacon Pharmacy
Inventory Management System
Helping pharmacies do more business with less inventory.
Case Studies