Considering the importance of integrated antimicrobial stewardship (IAS) practices by each hospital and each healthcare worker (HCW), it is vital to have a practice statement from SASPI based on available evidence from the literature and a recently completed Delphi study under SASPI. This document is developed and finalized through a Delphi model where it was prepared by three Indian experts (An ID physician, A Pharmacologist and A Microbiologist) in the first phase, and shared with SASPI members with experts in the same field (at least one expert (HICC/AMSP member) from 31 tertiary care institutes/hospitals) for content validation and comments regarding the feasibility of their practices in the second phase, and lastly again verified by same three experts of the first phase and prepared the practice statements with consideration of all relevant comments by individual institute experts in third phase.

These practice statements (Box 1) are the baseline Indian practice guidance towards IAS practices to curtail AMR in tertiary care hospitals. Each Indian hospital is advocated to follow these practices. With time, through multi-centric participation under the banner of SASPI, these practices will be monitored and updated towards higher goals.