The working committee for the proper use of antibiotics was organized at Tokushima University Hospital in March 2002, and the institutional guidelines for the selection and use of antibiotics were established. The infection control team (ICT) also started monitoring the use of particular antibiotics, including third-and fourthgeneration cephalosporins, calbapenems and anti-MRSA antibiotics, and reported on their use in August 2002. To assess these activities, we examined the status of antibiotic use for injections and compared our findings with the previous data.
The results were as follows : 1) the reports required were presented in 47% of the total antibiotics used; 2) after starting the surveillance, the use of the third-and fourth-generation cephalosporins and calbapenems shifted to the first-and second-generation drugs, while the use of anti-MRSA drugs clearly decreased; 3) these changes resulted in a savings of more than two million yen in medical expenditures in a month. These results suggest that closely monitoring the use of antibiotics may thus be beneficial not only for promoting the proper use of antibiotics but also for reducing overall medical costs.