Purpose Our aim was to investigate outpatient antibiotic use and assess the impacts of intervention in five Chinese children's hospitals from 2002 to 2006. Methods The Anatomical Therapeutical Chemical Classification/Defined Daily Doses and Drug Utilization 90% methodologies were used. We also analyzed the relationship between antibiotic consumption and resistant rate in one of the hospitals. Results The overall antibiotic consumption decreased during the intervention period in some hospitals, and the variation in use between hospitals was also reduced. A decrease in penicillins and first-generation cephalosporins, and an increase in third-generation cephalosporins as well as in the combinations of penicillins and beta-lactamase inhibitors were observed. In addition, an increasing resistance to antibiotics was a concern due to antibiotic overconsumption. Conclusions The intervention had effects on the overall antibiotic use in outpatients. However, over the span of 5 years, there was a decrease in the use of narrow-spectrum antibiotics and an increase in broad-spectrum antibiotics.