Antimicrobial Stewardship activities complement infection prevention and control (IPC) measures. They promote the responsible use of antibiotics, improve patient safety, and help combat antibiotic resistance.
Antimicrobial Stewardship activities are a worthwhile investment and reduce treatment costs.
This web-based handbook is aimed at Antimicrobial Stewardship teams as well as professionals from clinical departments, the hospital pharmacy, infection prevention and control, quality management and microbiology. It supports hospitals from the planning of initial Antimicrobial Stewardship activities through to the sustainable implementation of an Antimicrobial Stewardship Programme (ASP).
The web-based handbook is based on international recommendations from WHO and CDC and is aligned with quality improvement measures recognised by H+ under the national quality contract. It was developed with the involvement of numerous professionals.
A practical guide helps hospitals set up an ASP from scratch. This phase can take between 6 and 12 months and requires around 50 to 200 staff hours.
Antimicrobial Stewardship Program (ASP): a short guide for starting from scratch
The first edition was published in 2024 as a PDF working document. This expanded edition was published as a web-based handbook in 2026. Numerous stakeholders – doctors, hospital pharmacists, microbiologists and social scientists – contributed to the content.
Following an initial activity, an Antimicrobial Stewardship Programme (ASP) can be developed step by step. This can take 12 to 36 months. Practical recommendations and tools, structured according to four action areas, facilitate implementation.
