Student programme: How can hospital pharmacists implement antimicrobial stewardship to ensure rational use of antimicrobials?

ACPE UAN: 0475-0000-19-031-L01-P. An application based activity.

Linked to EAHP Statements:

Section 4 – Clinical Pharmacy Services: Statements 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 4.4

Abstract

Antimicrobial stewardship is an initiative developed in an effort to conserve the antibiotics that are still relatively effective, and to prevent further development of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Multi-disciplinary antimicrobial stewardship teams implement this initiative including: ensuring patients receive the appropriate antimicrobial at the correct dose and duration; minimising the abuse and misuse of antibiotics; minimising the development of AMR.

Various strategies can be implemented to ensure antimicrobial stewardship which may be classified as, pre-prescription or post-prescription, with the most successful implementations usually using a combination of both. Strategies to facilitate stewardship, range from the formulary restrictions, clinical guidelines, and education, to the more complex computer-assisted decision support programmes, pharmacy dosing programmes and antibiotic cycling.

Hospital pharmacists should play key roles in the antibiotic stewardship teams. As the practice is not yet considered as standard in Europe, and research is still being done on the most effective ways to approach it, education and discussions are needed for future healthcare professionals in order to reduce the threat of AMR.

This interactive, hands on, workshop will provide participants with a general overview of antimicrobial stewardship, including different approaches to it, as well as different techniques that exist to support the practice. The role of hospital pharmacists in the antibiotic stewardship teams will be stressed.

Learning objectives

After the workshop, participants should be able to:
• explain the importance of appropriate antimicrobial treatment and the implications associated with misuse of antimicrobials;
• state the different ways in which antimicrobial treatment may be optimised by hospital pharmacists;
• recall adequate pharmaceutical care strategies in terms of antimicrobial therapy.

Educational need addressed

Hospital pharmacists should be involved in multi-disciplinary antimicrobial stewardship teams by ensuring patients receive the appropriate antimicrobial at the correct dose and duration, minimising the abuse and misuse of antibiotics and minimising the development of antimicrobial resistance.

Keywords | Antimicrobial stewardship, strategies, hospital pharmacist.