Go Team! IPs and Antimicrobial Stewardship Programs Take On Superbugs

Throughout the evolution of antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) programs in healthcare, the role of the infection preventionist (IP) has not been clearly defined. AMS programs are an effort to coordinate the activities of pharmacy, providers, nursing, infection prevention, and administrators to align policy and practice around antimicrobial prescribing in ways that are optimal for patient care and appropriate for maintaining proper use to help alleviate the burden of antimicrobial resistance and other potential negative outcomes that can result in patient harm. 

Those harms have long been noted. The continued misuse of antimicrobials is driving up the resistance of numerous types of pathogens and prodding the US Centers for Disease control and Prevention (CDC), the World Health Organization (WHO), and other national and international health authorities to focus more on AMS programs.

The IP has always been called on as a partner and collaborator of AMS programs, as the goals of AMS dovetail with many of the goals of IP programs. However, depending on many factors, how involved the IP is in the program varies from facility to facility.