Evaluation of Antimicrobial Therapy Orders Circumventing an Antimicrobial Stewardship Program: Investigating the Strategy of “Stealth Dosing”

Abstract

Physicians avoid having to obtain prior approval for therapy involving restricted antimicrobials by waiting until restrictions are no longer active to place orders. Compared with restricted antimicrobial therapy ordered when the ASP is active, these courses of therapy are less often continued by the ASP, suggesting that they are more likely to be in conflict with guidelines or unnecessary.