Role of the Infectious Disease Specialist in Containing Costs of Antibiotics in the Hospital

Abstract

Antimicrobial agents account for a significant proportion of drug expenditures and are used inappropriately approximately half the time in hospital practice. This has led to substantial increases in medical costs for hospitalized patients. Methods have been proposed to reduce inappropriate use of antibiotics, particularly in hospitalized patients. Two of these methods, education and control, were employed effectively by infectious disease specialistsat a university teaching hospital to reduce inappropriate use of second-generation cephalosporins. These efforts resulted in significant savings of approximately $130,000 per year. The infectious disease specialist may also make major contributions to cost containment of antibiotics in other equally important areas, including other classes of antibiotics, inappropriate daily frequency, excessive duration of administration, and prevention of adverse drug reactions. The infectious disease specialist is better trained in appropriate antimicrobial use and clinically more knowledgeable in treating infections than other medical specialists and is the best-equipped member of the medical staff to educate the medical community on antibiotic use and to control antibiotic costs.