Free Webinar - "USP 797: The Infection Preventionist and Pharmacist as Partners in Medication Safety" with Keith St. John, MS, CIC - Wednesday, March 28, 2012, 2:00 PM Eastern. Reserve your seat now.
From FierceHealthcare: "After monitoring the unnecessary use of antibiotics for three years, the University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore shaved $3 million from its annual budget... But after UMMC ended the program in 2008, antimicrobial costs jumped by 32 percent, adding up to about $2 million, within two years, the study noted." Their results were published in the in the April edition of Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology.
Earlier this month, ABC News reported that Dr. Margaret Chan, director general of the World Health Organization, said antibiotic resistance could bring about "the end of modern medicine as we know it."
Many bacteria are becoming increasingly resistant to current antimicrobial agents and this increase in resistance is outpacing discovery of novel antimicrobial agents. As a result, clinicians are challenged to make the best use of available antimicrobials to not only treat infections, but preserve the life-span of current agents.
In our next webinar, "The Evidence Behind Extended-Infusion Piperacillin/Tazobactam," Timothy Reilly, PharmD will review the current status of multi-drug resistant bacteria and the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic principles that govern extended infusions of beta lactam antibiotics. He will also describe the available literature supporting the use of extended infusions of pipacillin/tazobactam and describe a community-based teaching hospital's experience with this treatment modality. Register now!
Electronic surveillance software can improve your hospital's antibiotic drug spend while helping to prevent healthcare-associated infections (HAIs).
Sentri7 rules can be set up to identify sensitive and resistant drug/bug combinations, or alert staff to MRSA and C. diff cases. One Sentri7 client we just interviewed found that for every hour spent with Sentri7, her hospital saved $500 in antibiotic costs! Get a demo today.
Now onto the news!
Stay well-informed,
Team Pharmacy OneSource
Top Issue of the Week
As bacteria evolve to evade antibiotics, common infections could become deadly, according to Dr. Margaret Chan, director general of the World Health Organization.
This Week's Topics
Antibiotic Resistance Could Bring 'End of Modern Medicine' ABC News
FDA approves generic versions of osteoporosis drug Drug Store News
FDA to hold hearing on if people can self-scan for prescriptions KPCC News
60 percent of hospitals surveyed say they've trashed scarce drugs MSNBC
Clinical pharmacists can help reduce discrepancies in patient medication histories Modern Medicine
Drug-resistant "white plague" lurks among rich and poor Reuters
E-mail This Newsletter to a Friend 
