This study looked at how a programme to improve antibiotic use in hospitals (called antimicrobial stewardship, or AMS) affected the way antibiotics were prescribed at three hospitals in Zambia. The researchers collected data from patient records in 2022 and 2023 to see how antibiotic use and prescribing habits changed after the programme was introduced.
They found that the overall use of antibiotics decreased from 81% of patients in 2022 to 71% in 2023. The use of ceftriaxone, the most commonly prescribed antibiotic, declined from 48% in 2022, to 38% in 2023. Prescribing antibiotics according to national guidelines (called Standard Treatment Guidelines) improved slightly, and the average number of antibiotics prescribed per patient was reduced from 1.38 to 1.21.
In conclusion, the AMS programme had an early positive impact on reducing unnecessary antibiotic use and improving adherence to treatment guidelines in the hospitals.
