Antibiotic Stewardship Program

Antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASPs) promote smart antibiotic use so the correct drug is prescribed at the appropriate dose for the right length of time. ASPs improve patient outcomes while decreasing potential side effects and the emergence of antibiotic resistant organisms.

In 2016, Missouri enacted antimicrobial stewardship legislation, which requires hospitals and ambulatory surgical centers to have an ASP in place.

RSMO 192.667.19 No later than August 28, 2017, each hospital, excluding mental health facilities as defined in section 632.005, and each ambulatory surgical center as defined in section 197.200, shall in consultation with its medical staff establish an antimicrobial stewardship program for evaluating the judicious use of antimicrobials, especially antibiotics that are the last line of defense against resistant infections. The hospital's stewardship program and the results of the program shall be monitored and evaluated by hospital quality improvement departments and shall be available upon inspection to the department. At a minimum, the antimicrobial stewardship program shall be designed to evaluate that hospitalized patients receive, in accordance with accepted medical standards of practice, the appropriate antimicrobial, at the appropriate dose, at the appropriate time, and for the appropriate duration.