Joint Commission Posts Prepublication Standard Addressing Antimicrobial Stewardship

​Accredited nursing care centers, hospitals, and critical access hospitals will be required to have antimicrobial stewardship programs effective January 1, 2017, according to a new prepublication standard from the Joint Commission. A new medication management standard (MM.09.01.01) was developed after the White House Forum on Antibiotic Stewardship, which was held in June 2015; the standard was proposed and opened for comment in November 2015 (see the December 4, 2015, Issues in Continuing Care Risk Management).