As a component of the Antibiotic Stewardship Program at Salem Hospital, all antibiotic orders in Epic will be required to contain the indication for use starting Dec. 18, 2017. Each antibiotic will have single-click indications tailored to the antibiotic as well as a free-text box if the indication is not available. Providing the indication for use helps other providers understand the reason for antibiotic use and may facilitate discontinuation, when appropriate. Indications on medication orders also help nursing staff educate patients about their medicines.
A Tip Sheet with screenshots for this process is available on the Infection Prevention page on the intranet. To access the Tip Sheet, go to “Infection Prevention” > “Antibiotic Stewardship” > “Indication Tip Sheet. ”