Submitted to MEDINF0.77

Almost one-half of the total cost of drugs spent in treating hospitalized patients is spend on antibiotics (1,2), and a significant part of this therapy is associated with serious misuse (2,3,4,5). One problem involves incorrect selection of a therapeutic regimen [4], while another involves the incorrect decision to administer any antibiotic (2,4,5). For example, one recent study concluded that one out of every four people in the United States was given penicillin during a recent year, and nearly 907. of these preL,criptions were oahccessary (6).