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Abstract: Objective: The authors had for aim to study the relationship between antibiotic policies and antibiotic consumption in hospitals. Design: A component analysis was used to summarize the various measures of the antibiotic policies developed by hospitals. Antibiotics consumption was expressed as a number of Daily Defined Doses per 1,000 patient-days. The relation was studied by a multiple linear regression model with adjustment on hospital activity. Results: The first component illustrated an active program of antibiotic policies associating: a local antibiotic committee, an infectious diseases consultant, written local guidelines for prescriptions and restrictive measures before dispensing. The highest antibiotic consumption was associated with active policies, especially for carbapenems, glycopeptides, and aminoglycosides. However the relationship differed according to the type of hospital, with lower antibiotic consumption, especially for penicillins, in private hospitals that had more active policies. Conclusion: The difference between public and private hospitals could be explained by the type of institution but also by the unit used to measure antibiotic consumption. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]