Indication-based electronic prescribing intervention reduces unnecessary meropenem use in a safety-net hospital: a quasi-experimental study

TL;DR

An electronic alert system reduced unnecessary use of the antibiotic meropenem in a hospital without harming patients.

Contribution

A targeted electronic prescribing alert effectively reduced meropenem use in a safety-net hospital.

Findings

Meropenem use decreased by 41% after implementing the alert.

Patient safety was not compromised by the intervention.

Abstract

This quasi-experimental before-and-after intervention study evaluated an indication-based electronic prescribing alert in a 450-bed tertiary care hospital. Implementation reduced meropenem use by 41% without compromising patient safety, demonstrating the effectiveness of this targeted antimicrobial stewardship strategy.

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