F881: Implement a program that monitors antibiotic use
F881 is one of the federal requirements every Medicare and Medicaid certified nursing home must meet. CMS describes it as: Implement a program that monitors antibiotic use.
It sits in CMS's infection control category.
CMS Health Deficiencies file, data as of September 1, 2026. The files hold each home's last three standard inspections and three years of complaint visits.
How seriously inspectors rate it
Every citation gets a letter for how much harm inspectors found and how many residents it touched (how to read the letters). 8.9% of F881 citations came from a complaint visit rather than a routine inspection.
By letter: B 3, C 17, D 915, E 578, F 403, G 8.
What inspectors wrote
Three recent F881 citations from different states, quoted from the inspectors' statements of deficiencies (CMS form 2567). Names are removed by CMS.
Inspectors wrote, August 7, 2026, scope and severity EBased on review of the facility policy and staff interview, it was determined that the facility failed to implement an antibiotic stewardship program for eight of 12 months (September 2025, through April 2026).
Providence Health & Rehab Center, Beaver Falls, PA
Inspectors wrote, July 30, 2026, scope and severity DBased on interview and document review, the facility failed to implement its antibiotic stewardship protocols for the assessment and monitoring of antibiotic use for 1 of 2 residents (R9) reviewed for antibiotic use. R9 received repeated courses of antibiotics for suspected urinary tract infections (UTIs); however, the facility failed to use its established UTI assessment process and failed to complete, and document required 72-hour antibiotic reassessments to evaluate the continued need, duration, and selection of antibiotic therapy.
Kittson Healthcare, Hallock, MN
Inspectors wrote, July 27, 2026, scope and severity FBased on infection log review, staff interviews, and policy review, the facility failed to ensure an appropriate Antibiotic Stewardship Program was established as required. This had the potential to affect all 51 residents who reside in the facility. The facility census was 51.
Liberty Retirement Community of Lima Inc, Lima, OH
Most recent F881 citations at the harm or jeopardy level
Newest first, all 8 in the current files. Each home's page shows the citation in full context, with its correction status.
| Inspection | Home | Town | Letter | Visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| July 9, 2026 | Mulder Health Care Facility | West Salem, WI | G | Complaint |
| January 8, 2025 | St. Elizabeth Nursing Home | Janesville, WI | G | Complaint |
| September 12, 2024 | Beloit Health and Rehabilitation Center | Beloit, WI | G | Standard |
| August 22, 2024 | Fayetteville Healthcare Center | Fayetteville, WV | G | Standard |
| July 25, 2024 | Rivers Edge Nursing and Rehab | Muscoda, WI | G | Standard |
| May 22, 2024 | Oak Lane Wellness & Rehabilitative Center | Eunice, LA | G | Standard |
| November 9, 2023 | Lafayette Manor | Darlington, WI | G | Standard |
| September 21, 2023 | Bria of Elmwood Park | Elmwood Park, IL | G | Complaint |
Most recent F881 citations
F881 citations by state
Counts depend on how many homes a state has and how often its inspectors visit, so a larger number is not by itself a worse record.
By inspection year: 2018 5, 2019 33, 2020 15, 2021 39, 2022 132, 2023 339, 2024 541, 2025 521, 2026 299.
Common questions
- What is F881 in a nursing home inspection?
- F881 is the federal requirement to "implement a program that monitors antibiotic use". CMS files it under infection control. A home cited under F881 did not meet that requirement at the inspection.
- How often is F881 cited?
- The CMS files as of September 1, 2026 list 1,924 F881 citations at 1,675 nursing homes, 400 of them in the 12 months to that date. 0.4% were rated as actual harm or immediate jeopardy.
- Is a F881 citation serious?
- It depends on the letter. Most F881 citations (98.5%) were rated as potential for more than minimal harm, D to F. None in the current files is at the immediate jeopardy level.
The interpretive guidance inspectors use for each F-tag is CMS's State Operations Manual, Appendix PP. NursingHomeClear reports the citations as CMS records them and is not affiliated with CMS. All F-tags · Methodology