CMS lifting prohibition on hand sanitizers in hospital corridors

January 2005

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is lifting its regulation prohibiting the placement of alcohol-based hand sanitizers in exit corridors, according to the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC).

	“Convenient access to alcohol-based hand rubs is an important factor in encouraging their use.” — CMS officials
	Source: Best Sanitizers Inc.

In a September 2004 letter, APIC urged the CMS to revoke its policy, in light of recent studies proving that alcohol-based hand products — formerly considered to be a fire hazard — could indeed safely be installed in exit corridors. “As an organization of professionals dedicated to preventing and controlling health care–associated infections, we consider these wall-mounted dispensers absolutely critical for assuring improved access and compliance with recommended hand hygiene practices,” the APIC letter stated.

In October 2002, the CDC issued recommendations stating that alcohol-based hand rubs may be a better option than traditional hand washing with plain soap and water. However, the outdated CMS policy made ensuring optimal access to these products a particular challenge.

“We are hopeful that CMS will choose to play an active and collaborative role in markedly improving health care by updating this policy to assure consistency with recommendations from CDC. Failure to take immediate action may significantly jeopardize patient safety in hospitals nationwide,” the APIC letter continued.

In response, APIC received a letter from the CMS about the regulation changes. The letter stated, “We agree that alcohol-based hand rubs are a useful and effective infection control tool, and that convenient access to alcohol-based hand rubs is an important factor in encouraging their use.”

CMS officials held an interim final rule with comment period to address the issue. The rule was reviewed by the Department of Health and Human Services and was published in the Federal Register in December 2004. The regulation change will become effective Feb. 23.

Critical timing

The news from CMS comes at a pivotal time, when facilities are gearing up efforts toward influenza prevention. “This is an important step in the right direction and at the right time, when every opportunity to make hand hygiene easier matters,” said APIC member Judene Bartley, MS, MPH, CIC, in a press release. Bartley played a key role in the effort to demonstrate the safety of these products and to change federal policy to ensure their ready access.

Bartley also serves as liaison to the American Society for Healthcare Engineering, which commissioned the study that provided the data to support the Life Safety Code changes and worked to modify the code.

“We are thrilled that CMS understands the critical nature of this issue and that the agency is moving forward to change this policy based on solid data,” Bartley said in the release.

She noted that the efforts of many brought this about, beginning with the American Hospital Association– and CDC-sponsored stakeholders meeting in July 2003 that brought clinicians and fire safety professionals together to determine how they could effect this important change.