A Survey of Antimicrobial Stewardship Programs in Korea, 2015

The study was conducted to evaluate the Antibiotic Stewardship Program (ASP) in Korean hospitals compared with the previous two surveys in 2006 and 2012. The information on ASPs was collected through an online-based survey sent by e-mail to 192 infectious diseases specialists in 101 Korean hospitals in September 2015. Fifty-four hospitals (53.5%, 54/101) responded to the online survey. One infectious diseases specialist was employed in 30 (55.6%) of the 54 hospitals, and they were in charge of ASPs in hospitals with the program. Fifty of the 54 hospitals (92.6%) had ASPs and the same number of hospitals was conducting a preauthorization-of-antibiotics-use program. Although most hospitals adopted preauthorization strategies for more antibiotics in 2015 than in 2012 (median 14 in 2015; 13 in 2012), a limited number of antibiotics were under control. The number of per oral and parenteral antibiotics available in hospitals in 2015 decreased compared to 2006 and 2012. The number of hospitals performing a retrospective or prospective qualitative drug use evaluation of antibiotic use increased from 2006 to 2015. Manpower in charge of antibiotic stewardship in most hospitals was still very limited and ASPs heavily depended on preauthorization-of-antibiotics-use programs in this survey. In conclusion, there leaves much to be desired in ASPs in Korea in 2015.