Antibiotic restriction policies in public hospitals.

We surveyed annual expenditure on antimicrobial agents and the use of antimicrobial restriction policies. Restriction policies were in use in 25 of 27 of the hospitals surveyed. Restrictions on the use of antimicrobials were extended into specialty intensive care or haematology units in only 13 of 20 hospitals which had such units. Antimicrobial restriction policies were, for the most part, similar amongst the hospitals surveyed. Use of restriction policies within specialist units was associated with reduced total hospital antibiotic expenditure per bed per year.