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DRUG-DELIVERY-SYSTEMS FOR OPAT SELF-ADMINISTRATION: A GRAPHIC GUIDE
European Statement
Clinical Pharmacy Services
Author(s)
Tania Truelshoej
Why was it done?
Department of infectious diseases at Aarhus Universitetshospital, Denmark, has succesfully implemented OPAT as a standard modality for certain patients requiring long-term intravenous antibiotic therapy e.g. patients with cystic fibrosis. This also include a guideline to OPAT self-administration at home.
To implement the OPAT guidelines throughout the hospital there was a need for an overview of available ready-to-use antibiotics for OPAT. The graphic guide is a help for the physicians in choosing the right drug-delivery-system suitable for OPAT self-administration.
What was done?
A graphic guide showing the ready-to-use antibiotics for outpatient parenteral antimicrobial therapy (OPAT) with special emphasis on drug-delivery-systems suitable for self-administration was developed.
How was it done?
Most information about the available ready-to-use antibiotics were obtained at the hospital pharmacy. In addition, the requirements for the different drug-delivery-system were obtained by interviewing nurses from different wards
What has been achieved?
Available ready-to-use antibiotics was listed in a graphic form with the following information: type of antibiotics, drug-delivery-system, available doses recommendations to time of administration and storage time and temperature. The drug-delivery-system were all illustrated with a photo.
The graphic guide is now part of the implemented guideline for OPAT at the hospital and is also available as a printed poster to place e.g. in the medicine room.
The guide is a help for the physicians in choosing the right drug-delivery-system suitable for OPAT self-administration and helps to raise overall awareness of the possibility of OPAT as self-administration at the hospital.
What next?
Implementation of the OPAT guideline and the included graphic guide has increased awareness of the need for the hospital pharmacy to deliver ready-to-use antibiotics that can match the needs for safe and efficient treatment at home. This is an important strategic focus for the hospital pharmacy in the coming years.