Antibiotic stewardship: a focus on ambulatory care

Antibiotic resistance is one of the major health threats facing modern medicine. While there are many tactics to address this issue, antibiotic stewardship has been shown effective in reducing antimicrobial resistance, adverse drug effects, mortality and health care cost. Most antibiotic stewardship programs have evolved within acute care settings where the bulk of resistant infections are identified. Unfortunately, hospitals are just the tip of the iceberg in terms of overall antibiotic use. The vast majority of the antibiotic prescriptions are dispensed in ambulatory care settings, making this a critical target for stewardship programs. This article discusses the global need for antibiotic stewardship, highlights the importance of outpatient stewardship, and discusses strategies and challenges for implementation of stewardship in community settings.