Current Status and Prospect of Qualitative Assessment of Antibiotics Prescriptions

Area of Science:

• Infectious Diseases
• Pharmacology
• Public Health

Background:

• Antibiotic stewardship programs are crucial for combating antimicrobial resistance.
• Qualitative assessments of antibiotic use have been performed in various countries since the 2000s.
• Current assessment methods lack standardization in criteria, cycles, and scope.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the global progress in quality assessment of antibiotic use.
• To identify future directions for improving antibiotic stewardship in Korea.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing literature on antibiotic use quality assessment globally.
• Analysis of reported data on inappropriate antibiotic prescription rates.
• Examination of country-specific assessment criteria and methodologies.

Main Results:

• Approximately 20-55% of antibiotic prescriptions are inappropriate worldwide.
• Significant variation exists in assessment approaches across different countries.
• Lack of standardized methods hinders consistent quality evaluation.

Conclusions:

• Standardized global approaches to antibiotic use assessment are needed.
• Improvements in antibiotic stewardship require enhanced quality assessment strategies.
• Future efforts should focus on developing consistent and comprehensive evaluation frameworks, particularly in Korea.