Antimicrobial stewardship: a focus on the need for moderation

While antimicrobial therapy is lifesaving, just like everything else in life, it should be used in moderation. The breadth and scope of antimicrobial stewardship has emerged as an integral part of infectious diseases care. A majority of data is derived from inpatient settings, where stewardship programmes continue to focus on reducing the development of antimicrobial resistance, healthcare-associated infections and healthcare-associated costs due to inappropriate use of antimicrobials. Yet, limited data is available on programmes outside of the traditional inpatient setting.

Almost one-third of prescribed antibiotics remain unnecessary and not needed in the outpatient setting. Thanks to advances in rapid diagnostics, lead times can be reduced for organism identification and susceptibility reporting. Stewardship initiatives can easily be adopted in outpatient settings with the right training, support and staff. Regardless of clinical service or practice settings, antimicrobial stewardship is essential in combatting resistance and preserving future treatment options. And, yes, antimicrobials may be prescribed where necessary but this should be done in moderation.