VANCOMYCIN UTILIZATION GUIDELINES AND RESTRICTION POLICIES - A REVIEW

Misuse or overuse of antibiotics can lead to develop ment of microbial resistance. This is particularly a concern with vancomycin because of the lack of alternative antibiotics for treatment of methicillin-resi stant Staphylococcus aureus and vancomycin-resistant enterococci. This article reviews Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines for van comycin use, results of various vancomycin drug use evaluatio ns reported in the literature, and outcomes and lessons learned from s everal institutions' implementation of policies to combat the spread o f vancomycin resistance. It also provides an overview of alternative t herapies for selected situations when vancomycin is not recommended. P revention of vancomycin resistance is a multifactorial process that re quires continual education and cross-disciplinary cooperation.