Developing critical pathways containing antimicrobial therapy.

Today's health care institutions are being challenged to provide high quality health care in the most efficient way possible. One approach taken by many organizations has been the development of critical pathways in order to minimize delays in therapy, facilitate the best outcomes, optimize resources, and maximize quality. Opportunities exist for these protocols to address a number of antimicrobial therapy issues and the multidisciplinary development process provides an excellent opportunity for pharmacist involvement.