The impact of adequately equipping antimicrobial stewardship programs

CIDRAP recently reported on an analysis published in JAC-Antimicrobial Resistance revealing that equipping antimicrobial stewardship programs with more resources, including staffing, leads to more favorable outcomes.

Results from more than 30 studies were investigated. Key findings:

• More resources led to reductions “in at least one antimicrobial use metric” in more than three-quarters of investigated studies.
• All studies that compared antimicrobial stewardship program staffing and cost found that increasing resources cut costs.
• 43% of the studies revealed streamlined processes.
• 89% experienced better process outcomes.

The authors concluded, “While increased ASP resourcing appears to be associated with improved antimicrobial use and cost outcomes in many studies, evidence remains heterogeneous. These findings underscore the need for rigorous, prospective studies and evidence-based recommendations to guide optimal ASP staffing.”