Antimicrobial Stewardship and Beyond: The Many Essential Roles of Infectious Diseases Pharmacists

Infectious diseases (ID) pharmacists are experts in antimicrobial pharmacology and pharmacotherapy and have the training and expertise for collaborative patient care with ID providers. Although ID pharmacists are recognized as key members of antimicrobial stewardship (AS) programs, this is not where the specialty began, and ID pharmacists fill multiple other roles beyond AS. The specialty of ID pharmacy initially arose as a form of consultancy for complex antimicrobial use cases. The rising complexity of ID pharmacotherapy among other reasons necessitates the growth of roles for ID pharmacists outside of positions primarily in AS, which we refer to as ID consultant pharmacists. They may be part of inpatient consultation teams, transitions of care, outpatient ID, and/or pharmaceutical industry/drug development. Various funding mechanisms exist, and additional opportunities should be explored including hybrid AS and ID consultant pharmacist positions. These roles should continue to be supported and increased to optimize collaborative ID patient care.