Methods of controlling cephalosporin use in Canadian hospitals.
Cephalosporin antibiotics contribute significantly to hospital antibiotic costs. A survey was conducted to determine cephalosporin use and prescribing control in Canadian hospitals over 300 beds. Of the 125 hospitals surveyed, 84 responses were received; 76 were included in data analysis. Thirty-two percent of hospitals had no restriction policies for intravenous cephalosporins and 88 percent had none for oral cephalosporins. Restrictions were more common for the second and third generation agents. The most common method of restricting cephalosporins was by requiring consultation with an infectious disease service. The yearly cost of cephalosporins varied considerably and was unrelated to the number of beds in the hospital. The data provided allows hospitals to compare their use of cephalosporin antibiotics with other institutions in Canada.