Failure to Implement Antibiotic Stewardship Program
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to develop and implement the core elements of an antibiotic stewardship program as part of its infection prevention and control efforts. A review of the infection control log from August 2024 through July 2025 revealed a lack of evidence for tracking and identifying possible infection outbreaks, as well as inconsistent identification of infections and antibiotic administration. The facility was unable to provide documentation of consistent infection control surveillance for the period from August 2024 through March 2025. During an interview, the current Infection Preventionist, who started in April 2025, was unable to confirm whether the previous Infection Preventionist had tracked antibiotic administration or monitored clusters of infections or organisms. The facility's antibiotic stewardship policy stated that the program should promote appropriate antibiotic use and include a monitoring system, but there was no evidence that these practices were being followed.