[Pharmaceutical interventions and clinical outcomes in an antimicrobial stewardship program]

Area of Science:

• Infectious Diseases
• Clinical Pharmacy
• Antimicrobial Stewardship

Background:

• Pharmacist involvement in antimicrobial stewardship programs (AMSP) is linked to improved patient outcomes.
• Optimizing antibiotic therapy is crucial in healthcare settings to combat resistance and enhance efficacy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To detail pharmaceutical interventions and clinical outcomes of a guideline-focused pharmaceutical care (PGA) strategy.
• Focus on broad-spectrum antibiotic use in hospitalized patients within a tertiary care environment.

Main Methods:

• Prospective observational study conducted from August 2016 to September 2017.
• Infectious disease-trained pharmacists evaluated and intervened in antibiotic therapy within an AMSP.
• Collaboration with infectious disease specialists for therapy modifications and outcome documentation.

Main Results:

• 258 patients were analyzed, with 16.1% of antibiotics deemed not indicated.
• 126 pharmaceutical interventions were made, achieving an 82.5% acceptance rate.
• Clinical and/or microbiological cure of infection was the primary endpoint observed.

Conclusions:

• Antimicrobial spectrum was a frequent issue, with antibiotic de-escalation being the most common intervention.
• High acceptance rates for pharmacist-led interventions within the PGA framework were noted.
• Achieving clinical and/or microbiological cure was the main driver for patient discharge.