Under the proposed rule, hospitals and critical-access hospitals (CAHs) would be required to have and demonstrate adherence to facility-wide infection prevention and control programs, as well as antibiotic stewardship programs. It is intended to help prevent healthcare-associated infections (HAIs), stopping spread of antibiotic-resistant germs and reducing inappropriate antibiotic prescribing.
The proposed rule comes only a few days after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a Health Alert Network (HAN) alert concerning the first mcr-1 gene in E. coli bacteria found in a person in the United States.
The mcr-1 gene makes bacteria resistant to the antibiotic colistin, the last-resort drug for treating patients with infections caused by multidrug-resistant bacteria.
CDC stated that it issued the HAN notice as a reminder about recommendations to prevent antibiotic resistant infections and alert them to additional recommendations for detecting and reporting bacteria with the mcr-1 gene.
CMS is accepting comments on the proposed rule until August 15, 2016. Submit comments electronically through the e-Regulation website here.
