Each facility shall have an active facility-wide program for the optimization of antibiotic use through stewardship. The program must demonstrate adherence to nationally recognized best practices for improving antibiotic use and reducing antibiotic-resistant organisms.

1. (1) Developing and implementing policies and procedures for facility-wide antibiotic stewardship to monitor and improve the facility’s use of antibiotics that reflect the scope and complexity of services furnished by the facility;
2. (2) Documenting antibiotic stewardship activities to include sustained improvements in proper antibiotic use;
3. (3) Communicating and collaborating with medical, nursing, and pharmacy personnel and with the quality assessment and performance program required by § 44:75:04:14 and the infection prevention and control program required by § 44:75:02:10 on antibiotic stewardship issues;
4. (4) Ensuring competency-based training and education is provided to the facility’s healthcare personnel on the practical application of antibiotic stewardship guidelines, policies, and procedures; and

5. (5) Auditing adherence to the facility’s antibiotic stewardship policies.

   The governing body of each facility shall ensure a system is in place and operational for the tracking of all antibiotic use activities to demonstrate implementation, success, and sustainability of activities.

Each facility shall, based on recommendations from the facility’s medical and pharmacy leadership, appoint an antibiotic stewardship director who is qualified through education, training, experience, or certification in infectious disease or antibiotic stewardship, to be responsible for the antibiotic stewardship program including:

Source: 50 SDR 62, effective November 27, 2023 .

General Authority: SDCL 34-12-13 (1), 34-22-9 (8).

Law Implemented: SDCL 34-12-13 .