The Protected Antimicrobials Policy 315.00 will be implemented 9/7/22. According to this policy, protected antimicrobial agents (e.g. meropenem, daptomycin, amphotericin B) can be ordered for inpatient use by authorized practitioners (e.g. Infectious Disease, Pulmonology). Certain protected antimicrobials can be ordered by any practitioner for specific pre-approved indications and for a specific period of time.

• Upon order entry and depending on the antimicrobial agent, prescribers will be required to:
  • Select a preapproved empiric duration per policy 315.00 (e.g. meropenem × 48 hours inpatient for documented history of colonization or infection with ESBL organism). This selection does not require authorization by an authorized prescriber.

OR

• • Indicate the name of the authorized prescriber who gave approval for the order and enter the discussed duration.
• If the order was placed using the empiric therapy option, continuation of the protected antimicrobial agent beyond the preapproved duration will require approval by an authorized provider and:
  • Modification of the current order to include the name of the authorized provider who gave approval and an updated stop date/time.

OR

• • Placement of a new order with the name of the authorized provider who gave approval and the discussed duration.
• It is the primary team practitioner’s responsibility to take appropriate actions for expiring orders of protected antimicrobial agents.
• Pharmacy will be notified about upcoming expiring orders and help facilitate uninterrupted treatment.