Antibiotic surveillance: the results of a clinical pharmacy intervention program.

One of the major goals of any medical center is to provide safe, cost-effective drug therapy. To ensure rational antimicrobial therapy and control hospital drug costs, a criteria-based antibiotic surveillance program was developed. This method of antibiotic restriction provided exceptional cost savings in our institution. Clinical pharmacy interventions resulted in physician education and an 18% increase in compliance with the program criteria producing in a one-year period a $43,000 cost avoidance for antibiotic expenditures.