New CMS Rule on Hospital Antimicrobial Stewardship Programs Will Impact Hospitals Nationwide

Last month, on September 26, 2019, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) passed a new rule titled, “Regulatory Provisions to Promote Program Efficiency, Transparency, and Burden Reduction; Fire Safety Requirements for Certain Dialysis Facilities; Hospital and Critical Access Hospital (CAH) Changes to Promote Innovation, Flexibility, and Improvement in Patient Care”. The rule is effectively three rules combined into one, impacting a variety of areas for U.S. healthcare providers that receive reimbursement from Medicare or Medicaid.

Number of Hospitals with Core Elements of Antibiotic Stewardship Programs Nearly Doubled from 2014 to 2017, According to CDC’s Report

In August 2019, the CDC released an update on antibiotic use in the United States. The update includes data on antibiotic stewardship programs and resources, from 2018 studies. The CDC is continuously working to improve antibiotic prescribing and use as a part of the Antibiotic Resistance Solutions Initiative.