The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has developed a new draft strategy for selecting and testing hospital disinfectants to ensure these products continue to be effective after they enter the marketplace, according to an article on the EPA website.

While EPA tries to ensure disinfectant products are effective before they can be sold, the new Antimicrobial Performance Evaluation Program (APEP) draft strategy goes further by laying out a risk-based approach for confirming hospital disinfectants remain effective and are used properly after they are registered.

Once finalized, the APEP will replace the Antimicrobial Testing Program (ATP), which EPA suspended in Nov. 2017, consistent with recommendations from the Agency’s Office of Inspector General (OIG).

EPA is seeking additional stakeholder input on the APEP draft strategy via a 60-day public comment period. After reviewing comments, the EPA expects to publish the APEP final strategy in 2020. Implementation is scheduled to begin in 2022.

Read the article.