Developing outpatient parenteral antimicrobial therapy services
Outpatient parenteral antimicrobial therapy (OPAT) services provide intravenous antimicrobial treatment outside hospitals, administered by healthcare professionals or patients/carers. This guidance covers how they improve NHS productivity by supporting service recovery, integrating with home-based care initiatives, reducing hospital stays, improving patient flow, addressing antimicrobial resistance, reducing health inequalities, and enabling patients to resume normal activities sooner.