The United State Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has created a new strategy for selecting and testing disinfectants intended for hospital use to ensure that these products remain effective after they are registered.

Current practices mandate that EPA test the effectiveness of hospital disinfectants before they are sold. The new practice, known as the Antimicrobial Performance Evaluation Program (APEP), “goes a step further by laying out a risk-based approach for confirming hospital disinfectants remain effective and are used properly after they are registered,” according to the EPA website.

After final approval, the APEP will replace the Antimicrobial Testing Program, which has been on suspension since 2017 at the recommendation of the agency’s Office Of Inspector General.