REVIEW Antimicrobial Stewardship in Australian Hospitals and Other Settings

The Author(s) 2015. This article is published with open access at Springerlink.com Australia’s model of antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) has evolved significantly over recent years, from a long-standing national approach of antimicrobial prescribing guidelines and antimicrobial prescribing restrictions to recent advances including the first National Antimicrobial Resistance Strategy and incorporating mandatory AMS as part of hospital accreditation standards. AMS programs are most commonly found in the hospital setting. Various models are used throughout the country based on the local context and resources available. Programs implemented at Alfred Health and the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital represent two successful models in tertiary referral settings that accommodate a general ward setting as well as specialized areas with a high infection burden. Measurement of outcomes related to AMS activities remains poorly standardized, with process indicators such as antimicrobial utilization forming a large proportion of outcome measurement. Presently there is no requirement for any AMS outcome measurements to be reported externally. Point prevalence surveys of appropriateness o