Hospital pharmacy
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Background: Antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASP) have been widely implemented in hospitals to improve antimicrobial use and prevent resistance. However, the role of ASP in the emergency department (ED) setting is not well defined. Objective: The objective of this study is to evaluate the impact of an ASP pharmacist culture review service in an ED. ⋯ Appropriateness of culture-guided therapy increased in the post-ASP implementation group from 85.7 to 91.8% (P = .047). The rate of combined ED revisits and hospital readmissions was similar between groups (P = .367). Conclusion: ASP pharmacist evaluation of positive cultures in the ED was associated with a significant decrease in the time to appropriate therapy in patients discharged with inadequate therapy and higher rates of appropriate antimicrobial therapy.