Standardized Clinical Infectious Diseases Pharmacy Care Delivery and Antimicrobial Stewardship Program Management...

Area of Science:

• Pharmacy Practice
• Health System Integration
• Antimicrobial Stewardship

Background:

• Infectious Diseases (ID) pharmacy expertise is vital for antimicrobial stewardship (AMS).
• Health system mergers necessitate the integration of existing AMS programs.
• Maintaining consistent care across expanded health systems is a key challenge.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the fusion of multiple AMS practice models during health system integration.
• To optimize and standardize care delivery across an enterprise.
• To establish a consistent patient care model regardless of location or pharmacist availability.

Main Methods:

• Recalibration of services from legacy antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASPs).
• Prioritization of enterprise-wide practices while allowing for hospital-specific nuances.
• Development of a hybrid remote and in-person coverage model for ID pharmacists.

Main Results:

• A unified practice model ensuring consistent patient care across geographic and socioeconomic disparities.
• Standardized coordination of system-wide ASP initiatives, including formulary management and guideline control.
• Effective resource provision for prescribers, pharmacy staff, and leadership.

Conclusions:

• A standardized ID pharmacy practice model effectively addresses disparities in clinical services, education, and ASP management.
• The hybrid coverage model reconciles care gaps during staff leave and maintains minimum pharmacist expectations.
• This approach is crucial for consistent patient care across state lines, especially with increasing virtual services.