Conclusions
1.
Most, if not all, of the recommendations which will be made by the Working Party, once the systematic review of the literature has been completed, are likely to be based on a consensus of expert opinion, rather than robust published evidence.
2.
A multifaceted approach, that is, one involving a combination of interventions, will be needed to achieve a maximum impact on prescribing behaviour.
3.
It may not be feasible or practicable to implement all of the interventions described above (indeed, it may not even be possible to implement all of the core interventions) in each hospital and it will, therefore, be necessary to develop a programme of interventions that suits local circumstances and needs.
4.
The interventions that are implemented will need to be enforced and their efficacies monitored through the audit process.
5.
Hospital management will need to demonstrate support for the programme developed by the Antibiotic Control Committee by making available to it adequate resources to enable the interventions introduced to control antibiotic usage to be implemented and enforced.