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Pharmacists in OPAT: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Yasmin Elmasry1,2, Kezia Wong1,3, Sarah Jones1
1Department of Life Sciences, University of Bath, Bath, UK.
The Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy
|July 15, 2026
Summary
Pharmacists in outpatient parenteral antimicrobial therapy (OPAT) improve adherence to drug monitoring and reduce prescribing errors. However, their impact on patient complications and health outcomes requires further investigation.
Area of Science:
- Pharmacology
- Infectious Diseases
- Health Services Research
Background:
- Outpatient parenteral antimicrobial therapy (OPAT) offers patient benefits and reduces hospital bed use.
- Multidisciplinary teams are crucial for OPAT, yet pharmacists are often excluded.
- Evidence on pharmacist impact in OPAT is limited.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the impact of pharmacists in OPAT on patient safety and outcomes.
- To synthesize current evidence on pharmacist interventions in OPAT settings.
Main Methods:
- Systematic review and meta-analysis following PRISMA guidelines.
- Literature search from inception to April 2025.
- Inclusion of studies with pharmacists in multidisciplinary OPAT teams and comparator groups.
Main Results:
- Ten studies met eligibility criteria, all with high risk of bias.
- Pharmacist involvement increased adherence to therapeutic drug monitoring and dose adjustment (40-64%).
- Antimicrobial prescribing errors decreased by 17-22% with pharmacist intervention.
Conclusions:
- Pharmacist involvement in OPAT improves process outcomes like adherence to monitoring protocols.
- Associations between pharmacist involvement and direct health outcomes were inconsistent.
- Further high-quality research with robust protocols is needed.
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