In a review published in Clinical Infectious Diseases, researchers are urging regulatory agencies and healthcare providers to take extra steps to fight the current shortage of anti-infection drugs, according to an Infectious Diseases Society of America news release.
Researchers discovered of the 193 medications unavailable in the U.S., 13 percent were anti-infective drugs. Frequent anti-infective shortages can substantially alter clinical care and may lead to worse outcomes for patients, particularly as the development of new anti-infectives has slowed and the prevalence of multidrug-resistant pathogens is increasing, the authors said.
Despite this challenge, the authors said multidisciplinary stewardship programs can boost appropriate "selection, dosing, route of administration, and duration of antimicrobial therapy" when a first-line anti-infective drug is in short supply. Healthcare providers can also develop strategies that anticipate the impact and extent of drug shortages as well as identify therapeutic alternatives that mitigate potential adverse outcomes.
Regulatory oversight may also be needed to identify and correct shortages of anti-infective drugs, the authors said.
Researchers discovered of the 193 medications unavailable in the U.S., 13 percent were anti-infective drugs. Frequent anti-infective shortages can substantially alter clinical care and may lead to worse outcomes for patients, particularly as the development of new anti-infectives has slowed and the prevalence of multidrug-resistant pathogens is increasing, the authors said.
Despite this challenge, the authors said multidisciplinary stewardship programs can boost appropriate "selection, dosing, route of administration, and duration of antimicrobial therapy" when a first-line anti-infective drug is in short supply. Healthcare providers can also develop strategies that anticipate the impact and extent of drug shortages as well as identify therapeutic alternatives that mitigate potential adverse outcomes.
Regulatory oversight may also be needed to identify and correct shortages of anti-infective drugs, the authors said.
Related Articles on Medication Safety:
Jury Awards $12M to Patient Who Suffered Medication Error at U Miami
Number of Serious Adverse Events in Massachusetts Remain Unchanged Last Year
AHRQ Offers Toolkit That Enhances Medication Safety Through ED Pharmacist