Study: Hospitals waste millions on unnecessary antibiotics

A joint study conducted by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention and Premier, Inc., found that redundant and unnecessary use of antibiotics may have cost U.S. hospitals $163 million, as well as increase risks to patient safety.

 

Using data from 2008 to 2011 of more than 500 hospitals, researchers found that 78% had evidence of unnecessary combinations of antibiotics being administered, representing a total of 32,507 cases, which translated to $12.9 million in avoidable costs.

 

According to the study’s authors, “If our findings for the hospital sample were indicative of community hospital practice throughout the United States, then the potential cost savings from eliminating redundant antimicrobial therapy during the same time frame could exceed $163 million.”