pharmacist antibiotic

One of the main contributing factors of antibiotic resistance is the dispensing of antibiotics without prescription. This study investigated community pharmacists' knowledge, attitudes, and practices in relation to antibiotic dispensing and resistance in United Arab Emirates (UAE). A cross-sectional survey was conducted using validated questionnaire. (40.1%) had an overall positive KAP score. A total of (88%) respondents were aware of the illegality of dispensing antibiotics without a prescription. Only (31%) had good knowledge regarding amoxicillin dosage for upper respiratory tract infection...

BACKGROUND: The escalating resistance of Mycoplasma pneumoniae to macrolides has become a significant global health concern, particularly in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs). Although tetracyclines and quinolones have been proposed as alternative therapeutic options, concerns regarding age-specific safety issues and the lack of consensus in recommendations across various national guidelines prevail. Thus, the primary objective of this study is to ascertain the most efficacious interventions for second-line treatment of M ...

OBJECTIVES: Patients with bone and joint infections (BJI) are involved in a complex care pathway and require prolonged antimicrobial treatment. Some studies have suggested that a pharmacist-led telehealth intervention (TI) could help to ensure better follow-up of chronic diseases. To our knowledge, there are no data on the effects of pharmacist-led TI on patients with BJI. The aim of this study is to assess the impact of a TI on patients treated for BJIs at three weeks after hospital discharge...

INTRODUCTION: The rational use of medicines is essential for preventing adverse medicine reactions, achieving therapeutic outcomes, and optimizing treatment costs. While the irrational use of medicines is frequently reported in sub-Saharan Africa, to the best of our knowledge no formal studies have taken place in Mauritania thus far. The main objective of this study was therefore to analyze the rational use of medicines in public and private not-for-profit health facilities, in five health districts in Mauritania...

INTRODUCTION: Diarrhea remains a major global health issue for children under five, contributing substantially to morbidity and mortality. Community pharmacists play a pivotal role in the management of these children; however, their competence in managing childhood diarrhea in Saudi Arabia is under-researched. This is important to ensure optimal patient care. METHOD: Simulated patients (SPs) presenting with three pediatric diarrhea scenarios were used to evaluate pharmacists' practice in terms of their counselling, history taking, over-the-counter (OTC) prescribing, medication instructions, diet/fluid advice, and/or information provision...

INTRODUCTION: Historically, antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) has considered the judicious use of antibiotics. AMS is widely adopted across Europe and the US; recently antifungal AMS is gaining momentum but antiviral AMS has been little described. Here we describe the introduction of AMS virology reviews at University Hospitals Birmingham (UHBFT); a novel concept and an opportunity to broaden the beneficial aspects of AMS to virology, termed anti-viral stewardship (AVS). METHOD: In June 2022, a UK supply issue with aciclovir injection (ACV IV) was announced...

Over the past century, antibiotic usage has skyrocketed in the treatment of critically ill patients. There have been increasing calls to establish guidelines for appropriate treatment and durations of antibiosis. Antibiotic treatment, even when appropriately tailored to the patient and infection, is not without cost. Short term risks-hepatic/renal dysfunction, intermediate effects-concomitant superinfections, and long-term risks-potentiating antimicrobial resistance (AMR), are all possible consequences of antimicrobial administration...

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Nocardia species, which are ubiquitous in the environment, form lesions primarily in immunocompromised patients via oral or cutaneous infection. Some of these Nocardia species, such as N. farcinica , also infect the central nervous system via hematogenous dissemination, which rarely results in brain abscesses. Notably, N. farcinica is resistant to numerous antimicrobial drugs used in empirical therapy, necessitating the intervention of an infectious disease specialist. To date, no case of antimicrobial stewardship teams (ASTs) playing a central role in community hospitals without an infectious disease specialist has been reported...

OBJECTIVES: The study aimed to investigate behaviour, knowledge and practices towards antibiotic (AB) use among patients who purchased ABs with a prescription across Russia. METHODS: Semi-structured interviews conducted in all eight Federal Districts, Moscow and Saint Petersburg in 2022 by 21 researchers trained specifically for this study. Data were analysed using a directed content analysis approach. RESULTS: In total, 151 respondents were interviewed...

BACKGROUND: Dental appointments offer an opportunity to evaluate a documented penicillin (PCN) allergy and determine whether the patient might be a candidate for medical reassessment of their allergy. The authors gathered feedback on the Penicillin Allergy Reassessment for Treatment Improvement (PARTI) tool, designed to enhance dentist-patient communications regarding PCN allergies. METHODS: From January 2022 through May 2023, the authors conducted a mixed-methods study, collecting focus group data from patients with PCN allergies and surveying health care workers (HCWs) regarding the PARTI tool...

Hepatic encephalopathy (HE) is a formidable complication in patients with decompensated cirrhosis, often necessitating the administration of rifaximin (RFX) for effective management. RFX, is a gut-restricted, poorly-absorbable oral rifamycin derived antibiotic that can be used in addition to lactulose for the secondary prophylaxis of HE. It has shown notable reductions in infection, hospital readmission, duration of hospital stay, and mortality. However, limited data exist about the concurrent use of RFX with broad-spectrum antibiotics, because the patients are typically excluded from studies assessing RFX efficacy in HE...

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) pose a significant challenge in the care of renal transplant recipients. This comprehensive review explores this population's multifaceted landscape of UTIs, emphasizing the importance of early diagnosis and tailored management strategies. Renal transplant recipients face an elevated risk of UTIs due to immunosuppression, altered urinary tract anatomy, and complex comorbidities. Complications of UTIs can lead to graft dysfunction and systemic illness, underscoring the need for effective management...

Purpose: Critical care pharmacists are considered essential members of the healthcare team; however, justification and recruitment of new positions, especially in the evening or weekend shifts, remains a significant challenge. The purpose of this study was to investigate the number of interventions, type of interventions, and associated cost savings with the addition of 1 board certified critical care clinical pharmacist to evening shift. Methods: This was a prospective collection and characterization of 1 evening shift critical care pharmacist's clinical interventions over a 12-week period...

BACKGROUND: Self-medication (SM) is a rising public health issue, especially in developing countries. It can be associated with various problems such as the delayed seeking of medical advice, drug interactions, and serious events such as antimicrobial drug resistance. We aimed to evaluate the Egyptian general population's knowledge, attitudes, and practices of SM. METHODS: We employed a cross-sectional design between February 7th and March 8th, 2023 using a self-administered questionnaire available in Arabic...

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to explore barriers and enablers to improving the management of bacteriuria in hospitalized adults. DESIGN: Qualitative study. SETTING: Nova Scotia, Canada. PARTICIPANTS: Nurses, physicians, and pharmacists involved in the assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of bacteriuria in hospitalized patients. METHODS: Focus groups (FGs) were completed between May and July 2019...

OBJECTIVES: Medication-related problems are a top concern of clinical pharmacists. Medication-related problems can cause patient harm and increase the number of visits, hospital admissions, and length of hospital stay. The objective was to assess clinical pharmacy medication-related problem-related interventions in a tertiary care setting. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was conducted at King Fahad Armed Forces Hospital in Jeddah (Saudi Arabia) between June 2021 and June 2022...

BACKGROUND: Pyuria is non-specific and may result in over-treatment of asymptomatic bacteriuria (ASB). The Infectious Diseases Society of America recommends against antibiotic treatment of ASB for most patients including those presenting with altered mental status (AMS). Close observation is recommended over treatment to avoid missing alternative causes of AMS and overuse of antibiotics resulting in adverse events and resistance. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to evaluate patient outcomes associated with antibiotic treatment of pyuria in patients presenting with AMS at hospital admission without specific UTI symptoms...

OBJECTIVE: Antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASP) have become a key tool in the adaptation of these drugs to the health system. The information available on the application and indicators used in these programs in emergency departments is scarce. The objective of this study is to know the extent of ASP implementation in the emergency departments, as well as the use of antimicrobials in these units. METHODS: Multicenter retrospective study. An invitation was sent to all participants of the REDFASTER-SEFH emergency pharmacist working group...

BACKGROUND: Vancomycin is a commonly prescribed antibiotic to treat gram-positive infections. The efficacy of vancomycin is known to be directly related to the pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) index of the area under the concentration-time curve (AUC) divided by the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) of the pathogen. However, in most countries, steady-state plasma concentrations are used as a surrogate parameter of target AUC/MIC, but this practice has some drawbacks. Hence, direct AUC-guided monitoring of vancomycin using model-informed precision dosing (MIPD) tools has been proposed for earlier attainment of target concentrations and reducing vancomycin-related nephrotoxicity...