At a glance
- Antibiotic stewardship is the effort to measure and improve how antibiotics are prescribed by clinicians and used by patients.
- CDC's Core Elements of Antibiotic Stewardship offer providers and facilities a set of key principles to guide efforts to improve antibiotic use and, therefore, advance patient safety and improve outcomes.
Overview
Improving antibiotic prescribing and use is critical to effectively treat infections, protect patients from harms caused by unnecessary antibiotic use, and combat antibiotic resistance.
These frameworks complement existing guidelines and standards from key healthcare partner organizations, including the Infectious Diseases Society of America, Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America, American Society of Health System Pharmacists, Society of Infectious Diseases Pharmacists, and The Joint Commission.
CDC recognizes that there is no "one size fits all" approach to optimize antibiotic use for all settings. The complexity of medical decision-making surrounding antibiotic use and the variability in facility size and types of care in U.S. healthcare settings require flexible programs and activities.
Core Elements
Core Elements of Antibiotic Stewardship for Health Departments
Core Elements of Hospital Antibiotic Stewardship Programs
Priorities for Hospital Core Element Implementation
Implementation of Antibiotic Stewardship Core Elements at Small and Critical Access Hospitals
Core Elements of Outpatient Antibiotic Stewardship
Antibiotic Stewardship in Outpatient Telemedicine
Core Elements of Antibiotic Stewardship for Nursing Homes
Core Elements of Human Antibiotic Stewardship Programs in Resource-Limited Settings