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Antimicrobial Stewardship — SCE Infectious Diseases MCQ

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EasyAntimicrobial StewardshipAntimicrobial StewardshipSCE Infectious Diseases

A hospital introduces a new antimicrobial stewardship intervention requiring all antibiotic prescriptions to include a documented indication, planned duration, and review date. What is this intervention called?

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Correct answer: C — Start Smart — Then Focus

Start Smart — Then Focus is the UKHSA (formerly PHE) antimicrobial stewardship framework used across NHS hospitals. It requires clinicians to document the indication, review date, and planned duration at the point of antibiotic prescribing ('Start Smart') and then review at 48–72 hours to de-escalate, switch IV-to-oral, change, or stop ('Then Focus'). This is the cornerstone of UK hospital antibiotic stewardship programmes.

Reference: UKHSA 2015 – Start Smart Then Focus; NICE NG15 2015 – Antimicrobial stewardship