Antimicrobial Stewardship: Systems and Processes for Effective Antimicrobial Medicine Use (NICE NG15)

NICE NG15 provides guidance for healthcare organisations on implementing antimicrobial stewardship programmes to optimise antibiotic prescribing and combat antimicrobial resistance.

Key Recommendations

• Prescribe antibiotics only when there is a clinical diagnosis or high suspicion of bacterial infection
• Document indication, dose, route, and review/stop date for every antibiotic prescription
• Use local formularies and sensitivity patterns for empirical therapy choices
• Review antibiotic prescribing (IV to oral switch) at 48-72 hours
• Use narrow-spectrum antibiotics whenever possible
• Implement TARGET antibiotics toolkit and patient-facing leaflets for self-limiting infections
• Regular audit of antibiotic consumption and feedback to prescribers