Key Points to Incorporate in Institutional Plans for Antimicrobial Shortages

Milena McLaughlin, PharmD, MSc, Assistant Professor, Pharmacy Practice, Midwestern University and Northwestern Memorial Hospital, explains the key points that should be incorporated into institutional plans for dealing with antimicrobial shortages.

Interview Transcript (slightly modified for readability)

“The key points in the institutional plan are really going to be transparency and communication. You want to make sure that everybody knows what the plan is and why it is the plan. So, if you don’t have any inventory, making sure everyone knows that. If you’re restricting the inventory, making sure they know why the restrictions are in place, what the medical evidence is behind the restrictions, [and] who has approved the restrictions. Then, of course, communication; you want to communicate this with the providers and physicians ordering the medications, but also with the nurses who are going to be giving the medications and who need to educate the patients on the adverse effects, and making sure that you’re educating the pharmacists on how to properly dose the medication. Then, of course, making sure that the patient knows what’s going on as well and what they can expect.”