Initiating an antimicrobial stewardship program with limited resources

Methods We developed an AMS program, headed by a pharmacist and infectious diseases (ID) physician. Drug utilization reviews identified an expensive, broad-spectrum agent (piperacillin-tazobactam [P-T]) for initial targeting. An AMS form for listing clinical data and recommendations was developed. A daily list of patients receiving P-T was used to identify target patients for intervention. The pharmacist and ID physician made rounds on wards, placed AMS forms in patient charts, and spoke to caregivers regarding recommendations. Intravenous to oral conversions were performed by pharmacists. After 6 months of AMS activity revealed cost savings, hospital administration approved a 1⁄2-time pharmacist position for AMS.