BD Participates in White House Forum on Antibiotic Stewardship

FRANKLIN LAKES, N.J., June 2, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company) (NYSE: BDX), a leading global medical technology company, today announced its participation in the White House Forum on Antibiotic Stewardship and outlined multiple steps the company will take to help combat drug resistant organisms.

"BD has a full range of expertise related to identification and prevention of antimicrobial resistance from diagnosis and treatment information to electronic surveillance and prevention of health care associated infections," said Vincent A. Forlenza, chairman, CEO and president of BD. "We are committed to being a key contributor to this collaborative effort to stop the rise of antibiotic resistant organisms."

The event brings together key Federal and private sector participants involved in the development, promotion and implementation of antibiotic stewardship activities to ensure the responsible use of antibiotics nationwide.

In support of the Forum, BD outlined multiple actions it plans to take over the next five years to help combat drug resistant organisms and further promote antimicrobial stewardship.  Among those commitments include:

• Improve Diagnosis and Treatment
  • Develop a new diagnostic test to rapidly detect Carbapenem Resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE)
  • Create a pandemic sentinel system that includes identification of CRE cases to enable timely intervention
  • Deploy antimicrobial susceptibility tests (AST) to ensure the appropriate use of all available antibiotics
    
    
• Expand Electronic Surveillance
  • Assist health care providers with monitoring and reporting emerging pathogens and antibiotic resistance trends
  • Support public health efforts to identify likely HAIs through electronic surveillance surrogate markers, such as the MedMined® NIM (nosocomial infection marker) and improve tracking of antibiotic use
    
    
• Reduce HAIs
  • Continue research and development into skin antiseptics and needleless connectors to reduce the risks of HAIs

Last year, President Obama signed an Executive Order launching Federal efforts to combat the rise in antibiotic-resistant bacteria.  The Administration also issued its National Strategy on Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria, which outlines steps the U.S. government will take to improve prevention, detection and control of resistant pathogens. Earlier this year, the White House released its National Action Plan to Combat Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria, a comprehensive effort that identifies critical actions to be taken by government over the next five years. In addition, the President's FY 2016 Budget proposed nearly doubling the amount of Federal funding for combating and preventing antibiotic resistance to more than $1.2 billion. 

About BD

BD is a leading medical technology company that partners with customers and stakeholders to address many of the world's most pressing and evolving health needs. Our innovative solutions are focused on improving medication management and patient safety; supporting infection prevention practices; equipping surgical and interventional procedures; improving drug delivery; aiding anesthesiology and respiratory care; advancing cellular research and applications; enhancing the diagnosis of infectious diseases and cancers; and supporting the management of diabetes. We are more than 45,000 associates in 50 countries who strive to fulfill our purpose of "Helping all people live healthy lives" by advancing the quality, accessibility, safety and affordability of healthcare around the world. In 2015, BD welcomed CareFusion and its products into the BD family of solutions. For more information on BD, please visit www.bd.com.

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SOURCE BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company)