The effectiveness of an antimicrobial stewardship program in an Australian rural hospital.

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the type, indication and duration of restricted antibiotics prescribed to inpatients who had undergone antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) review by the infectious diseases specialist and to assess the effectiveness of the AMS program in a rural hospital.

Design: This was an observational retrospective study.

Setting: The study was conducted at a rural referral hospital in NSW.