[Pharmacist´s contribution on antimicrobial stewardship program: ambispective cohort study]

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Management
• Infectious Diseases
• Pharmacology

Background:

• Antimicrobial stewardship programs (AMSP) are crucial for rational antibiotic use.
• Ensuring correct antibiotic, timing, and dosage is a primary goal of AMSPs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the impact of a pharmacist-led AMSP on antibiotic consumption, treatment duration, and costs.
• To establish the association between pharmacist-led AMSP interventions and key healthcare outcomes in a tertiary setting.

Main Methods:

• An ambispective cohort study design was employed.
• The exposed cohort involved pharmacist interventions within an AMSP, evaluating indication, dosage, duration, and spectrum.
• The non-exposed cohort was a similar retrospective group without AMSP evaluation.

Main Results:

• A decrease in antibiotic consumption was observed (119,831 vs 137,678 DDD/100 patient-days).
• The exposed cohort experienced a 34.1% reduction in antibiotic therapy costs compared to the non-exposed cohort.
• 258 patients were in the exposed cohort and 247 in the non-exposed cohort.

Conclusions:

• Pharmacist-led AMSPs yield superior outcomes regarding antibiotic consumption.
• AMSPs directed by pharmacists lead to significant reductions in healthcare costs associated with antibiotic therapy.