Dive Brief:
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Hospitals around the United States are trying to reduce antibiotic resistance and fight back against drug-resistant superbugs in patients.
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The hospitals are working toward this goal through antibiotic stewardship programs and community education.
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Stewardship programs help raise awareness and foster proper handling and prescribing of antibiotics. Experts say that these programs, along with enhanced monitoring for drug-resistant infections in the community, can help address the problem of drug-resistant superbugs like MRSA.
Dive Insight:
It's good to be reminded that hospitals' responsibility for fighting menaces like MRSA and Clostridium dificile doesn't stop at the hospital doors. According to the CDC, healthcare organization should offer not only infection control, but also improve the use of antibiotics and promote the development of new antibiotics and diagnostic tests for resistant bacteria. This community threat needs to be met in the community and by the pharmas, too, in addition to internal infection control by hospitals.