title: [Economic impact of rationalized antibiotic therapy in a general hospital].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the economic impact and the bacterial resistance rates after 2 years of a rationalized antibiotic prescription program in a 502-bed hospital.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Prescribing protocols were established by consensus in 1998 and were reinforced a year later by nominative dispensing of the most costly antibiotics. The impact of the program was assessed in terms of changes in the overall cost of antibiotics and in the pattern of bacterial resistance among pathogens isolated in the institution, during the period prior to the onset of the program (1997) and its realization (1998 and 1999).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The expenses for antibiotic drugs decreased by 46% in 2 years. Resistance rates among the different pathogens studied have remained stable. No increase of mortality was observed. Our rational policy in antibiotic therapy had a positive economic impact. However, new additional measures should be encouraged to prevent antimicrobial resistance.
authors.affiliation: Service pharmacie, centre hospitalier Mémorial, 715, rue Dunant, 50009 Saint-Lô, France.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Divanon
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Hazera
authors.forename: N E
authors.initials: NE
authors.lastname: el Baroudi
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rennes
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Tanquerel
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Beck
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000191:economics* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D016527:Drug Costs / Q000639:trends*; D004352:Drug Resistance, Microbial; D006769:Hospitals, General; D006801:Humans; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians'
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents
vernacular_title: Impact économique de la rationalisation de l'antibiothérapie dans un centre hospitalier général.