CDC launches antibiotic tracking system in hospitals

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said Monday that it is launching an electronic tracking system for antibiotic use in hospitals.

The announcement coincides with the start of Get Smart About Antibiotics Week. The campaign aims to highlights the dangers of overusing antibiotics, which can create drug-resistant superbugs. 

The CDC is also partnering with the Institute for Healthcare Improvement to test strategies to improve antibiotic use in eight pilot hospitals.

"Antibiotic use leads to antibiotic resistance, which is a major public health problem," CDC Director Thomas Frieden said in a statement. "Hospitals and other healthcare facilities should monitor the antibiotics used in their facilities. This new system is a powerful tool that will enhance providers' ability to monitor and improve patterns of antibiotic use so that these essential drugs will still be effective in the years to come."

The new antibiotic-use tracking system is part of the CDC's National Healthcare Safety Network, which monitors infections in more than 4,800 hospitals. CDC is funding the tracking system in 70 hospitals; other facilities that participate in the National Healthcare Safety Network can electronically transmit antibiotic data through their pharmacy software vendor.

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