Antimicrobial stewardship is defined as a rational, systematic approach to the use of antimicrobial agents to achieve optimal outcomes. This means using the right agent, at the correct dose, for the appropriate duration in order to cure or prevent infection, while minimizing toxicity and emergence of resistance.  

​

At a glance:

• Antibiotic Stewardship is the effort to measure and improve how antibiotics are prescribed by clinicians and used by patients. 

• CDC's Core Elements of Antibiotic Stewardship offer providers and facilities a set of key principles to guide efforts to improve antibiotic use and, therefore, advance patient safety and improve outcomes.