Identifying best practices across three countries: hospital antimicrobial stewardship in the United Kingdom, France, and the United States.

Rational antimicrobial use can be achieved through antimicrobial stewardship--a coordinated set of strategies designed to improve the appropriate use of antimicrobial agents. There are encouraging examples of antimicrobial stewardship programs from different parts of the world; however, the structure of these programs varies by hospital and country. In an effort to identify best practices in hospitals, we describe legislative requirements, antimicrobial stewardship program infrastructure, strategies and outcomes in 3 countries that have established programs--the United Kingdom, France, and the United States.