Journal
INFECTION AND CHEMOTHERAPY
Volume 48, Issue 3, Pages 151-159Publisher
KOREAN SOC ANTIMICROBIAL THERAPY
DOI: 10.3947/ic.2016.48.3.151
Keywords
Inappropriate prescribing; Bacterial drug resistance; Health policy; Drug utilization review; Health care quality assurances
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Antibiotic stewardship is a key strategy for limiting antibiotic resistance. Over the last decade the South Korean government has implemented a series of healthcare policies directed to this end, consisting of legislative separation of drug prescribing and dispensing, antibiotic utilization reviews, healthcare quality assessment, and public reporting. As a result, the proportion of antibiotic prescriptions for acute upper respiratory tract infections in primary healthcare facilities decreased from 72.9% in 2002 to 42.7% in 2013. However, no significant decrease in antibiotic resistance occurred over the same period in clinically important bacteria such as Streptococcus pneumoniae. These government-driven policies played a pivotal role in improving antibiotic use for outpatients and surgical patients in South Korea. However, to achieve long-lasting successful outcomes, coordinated efforts and communications among the stakeholders, including physicians and medical societies, are needed.
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