Case Study: Sentri7® achieves 81% reduction in ertapenem use with Wolters Kluwer ELM Solutions

Targeting High-cost Antibiotics to Decrease Pharmacy Spend and Improve Overall Patient Care

Sentri7®, a Wolters Kluwer ELM Solutions offering, worked with a hospital health system customer that wanted to reduce unnecessary use of the high-cost antibiotic ertapenem and improve prescribing in line with its antimicrobial stewardship program. A system director of pharmacy identified inpatient ertapenem use across five key hospitals as an opportunity to educate prescribers and encourage more appropriate, lower-cost alternatives when clinically suitable.

Using Sentri7 clinical surveillance, the director set up a real-time ertapenem alert rule to support prospective audit and feedback at the point of prescribing. Wolters Kluwer ELM Solutions’ Sentri7® helped drive an 81% decrease in ertapenem vial use over 20 months, cutting volume from 4,930 in 2018 to 919 in 2019 and reducing overall pharmacy spend while supporting better patient care and antibiotic stewardship.

Sentri7®