Behavioral prompt cuts piperacillin/tazobactam use 22% in Japan

This single-center before-after study suggests a low-intensity, pharmacist-led educational and workflow-embedded intervention can meaningfully reduce broad-spectrum antibiotic consumption without compensatory shifts to other agents.

piperacillin/tazobactamantimicrobial stewardshipbehavioral scienceCOM-Bdays of therapyantibiotic use densitypharmacist-led interventionbefore-after studyJapanprescribing behavior Infectious Disease / Antimicrobials

Background Information

Pharmacist-led education cut piperacillin/tazobactam use by 22.3% in Japan.

Changing antimicrobial prescribing behavior is crucial for effective antimicrobial stewardship programs to reduce resistance and optimize treatment. The pharmacist-led intervention reduced piperacillin/tazobactam use by 22.3% in days of therapy over six months. The study suggests that integrating behavioral science into educational interventions can effectively change prescribing practices in a hospital setting. Pharmacist-led, behavior-informed educational interventions can significantly reduce antimicrobial use.

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Authors: Masuda K, Gomi H, Tanuma J, Hiramatsu T, Sato T, Takaya S, Kato Y, Matsumoto T

Citation: Masuda K, Gomi H, Tanuma J, et al. A pharmacist-led, workplace-based educational intervention informed by behavioral science to influence antimicrobial prescribing in Japan. Korean journal of medical education. 2026;38(3):267-271. doi:10.3946/kjme.2026.181

Article Links: PubMed · Journal / DOI

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