Project description:BackgroundAntimicrobial resistance remains a major global public health concern, and antimicrobial dispensing in community pharmacies is an important factor in preventing this damage. However, the current literature focuses on the technical and attitudinal aspects related to antimicrobial dispensing, with little emphasis on the interventions provided in this service. Thus, this study aimed to determine the antimicrobial dispensing process in community pharmacies.MethodsA scoping review was performed in September 2020 using the PubMed, EMBASE, LILACS, Web of Science, and Cochrane databases. The search terms included words related to dispensing, antibacterial agents, and pharmacies in various combinations. Two reviewers screened the titles, abstracts, and full-text articles according to the eligibility criteria, and extracted the data. The findings were presented in a descriptive form.ResultsOf the 7713 studies screened, 35 were included, of which 22 (63%) were published in Asia. Most studies followed a cross-sectional design (n = 27), and the simulated patient was the most often used method to assess the antimicrobial dispensing process (n = 22). Moreover, 31 (89%) studies investigated antimicrobial dispensing without prescription, and only four (11%) studies evaluated antimicrobial dispensing with prescription. In the 35 studies, the most frequently asked questions were about drug allergies (n = 19) and patient symptoms (n = 18), and counseling mainly focused on the side effects (n = 14), precautions (n = 14), how to take the medication (n = 12), and duration of medication use (n = 11). Another common intervention was referral (n = 15). Among clinical cases, counseling on medication use occurred often in cases of urinary tract infection (51%) and otitis media (50%).ConclusionsAntimicrobial dispensing processes have been primarily investigated in low- and middle-income countries, with a focus on dispensing antimicrobials without prescriptions. During the dispensing process, pharmacists mostly posed minimal questions and counseling, highlighting the deficiencies that persist in this practice. Our results indicate the need for multifaceted strategies, such as implementing educational, regulatory or administrative strategies and changes in cultural background, especially in low- and middle-income countries, that aim to reduce indiscriminate use of antimicrobials. Therefore, qualifying the antimicrobial dispensing process is a fundamental factor for improving the rational use of antimicrobials and reducing microbial resistance.

Project description:BackgroundMedication prescribing is essential for the treatment, curing, maintenance, and/or prevention of an illness and disease, however, medication errors remain common. Common errors including prescribing and administration, pose significant risk to patients. Electronic prescribing (e-prescribing) is one intervention used to enhance the safety and quality of prescribing by decreasing medication errors and reducing harm. E-prescribing in community-based settings has not been extensively examined.ObjectiveTo map and characterize the current evidence on e-prescribing and medication safety in community pharmacy settings.MethodsWe conducted a rapid scoping review of quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods studies reporting on e-prescribing and medication safety. MEDLINE All (OVID), Embase (Elsevier), CINAHL Full Text (EBSCOHost), and Scopus (Elsevier) databases were searched December 2022 using keywords and MeSH terms related to e-prescribing, medication safety, efficiency, and uptake. Articles were imported to Covidence and screened by two reviewers. Data were extracted by a single reviewer and verified by a second reviewer using a standardized data extraction form. Findings are reported in accordance with JBI Manual for Evidence Synthesis following thematic analysis to narratively describe results.ResultsThirty-five studies were included in this review. Most studies were quantitative (n = 22), non-experimental study designs (n = 16) and were conducted in the United States (n = 18). Half of included studies reported physicians as the prescriber (n = 18), while the remaining reported a mix of nurse practitioners, pharmacists, and physician assistants (n = 6). Studies reported on types of errors, including prescription errors (n = 20), medication safety errors (n = 9), dispensing errors (n = 2), and administration errors (n = 1). Few studies examined patient health outcomes, such as adverse drug events (n = 5).ConclusionsFindings indicate that most research is descriptive in nature and focused primarily on rates of prescription errors. Further research, such as experimental, implementation, and evaluation mixed-methods research, is needed to investigate the effects of e-prescribing on reducing error rates and improving patient and health system outcomes.

Project description:BackgroundOver 90% of all antibiotics in Europe are prescribed in primary care. It is important that antibiotics are prescribed that are likely to be effective; however, information about antibiotic resistance in the community is incomplete. The aim of our study is to investigate the appropriateness of antibiotic prescribing in primary care in Europe by collecting and combining patterns of antibiotic resistance patterns and antibiotic prescription patterns in primary care. We will also evaluate the appropriateness of national antibiotic prescription guidelines in relation to resistance patterns.Methods/designAntibiotic resistance will be studied in an opportunistic sample from the community in nine European countries. Resistance data will be collected by taking a nose swab of persons (N = 4,000 per country) visiting a primary care practice for a non-infectious disease. Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pneumoniae will be isolated and tested for resistance to a range of antibiotics in one central laboratory. Data on antibiotic prescriptions over the past 5 years will be extracted from the electronic medical records of General Practitioners (GPs). The results of the study will include the prevalence and resistance data of the two species and 5 years of antibiotic prescription data in nine European countries. The odds of receiving an effective antibiotic in each country will be calculated as a measure for the appropriateness of prescribing. Multilevel analysis will be used to assess the appropriateness of prescribing. Relevant treatment guidelines of the nine participating countries will be evaluated using a standardized instrument and related to the resistance patterns in that country.DiscussionThis study will provide valuable and unique data concerning resistance patterns and prescription behaviour in primary care in nine European countries. It will provide evidence-based recommendations for antibiotic treatment guidelines that take resistance patterns into account which will be useful for both clinicians and policy makers. By improving antibiotic use we can move towards controlling the resistance problem globally.

Project description:BackgroundAntimicrobial resistance is a rising threat to human health, and, with up to 90% of antibiotics prescribed in the community, it is critical to examine Canadian antibiotic stewardship practices in outpatient settings. We carried out a large-scale analysis of appropriateness in community-based prescribing of antibiotics to adults in Alberta, reporting on 3 years of data from physicians practising in the province.MethodsThe study cohort was composed of all adult (age 18-65 yr) Alberta residents who filled at least 1 antibiotic prescription written by a community-based physician between Apr. 1, 2017, and Mar. 6, 2020. We linked diagnosis codes from the clinical modification of the International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision (ICD-9-CM), as used for billing purposes by the province's fee-for-service community physicians, to drug dispensing records, as maintained in the province's pharmaceutical dispensing database. We included physicians practising in community medicine, general practice, generalist mental health, geriatric medicine and occupational medicine. Following an approach used in previous research, we linked diagnosis codes with antibiotic drug dispensations, classified across a spectrum of appropriateness (always, sometimes never, no diagnosis code).ResultsWe identified 3 114 400 antibiotic prescriptions dispensed to 1 351 193 adult patients by 5577 physicians. Of these prescriptions, 253 038 (8.1%) were "always appropriate," 1 168 131 (37.5%) were "potentially appropriate," 1 219 709 (39.2%) were "never appropriate," and 473 522 (15.2%) were not associated with an ICD-9-CM billing code. Among all dispensed antibiotic prescriptions, amoxicillin, azithromycin and clarithromycin were the most commonly prescribed drugs labelled "never appropriate."InterpretationWe found that nearly 40% of prescriptions dispensed to 1.35 million adult patients in Alberta's community-based settings over a 35-month period were inappropriate. This finding suggests that additional policies and programs to improve stewardship among physicians prescribing antibiotics for adult outpatients in Alberta may be warranted.

Project description:BackgroundSurgical specialities use extensive amounts of antimicrobials, and misuse has been widely reported, making them a key target for antimicrobial stewardship initiatives. Interventions informed by, and tailored to, a clear understanding of the contextual barriers to appropriate antimicrobial use are more likely to successfully improve practice. However, this approach has been under utilised. Our aim is to synthesise qualitative studies on surgical antimicrobial prescribing behaviour (APB) in hospital settings to explain how and why contextual factors act and interact to influence APB amongst surgical teams. We will develop new theory to advance understanding and identify knowledge gaps to inform further research.MethodsThe meta-ethnography will follow the seven-phase method described by Noblit and Hare. We will conduct a comprehensive search using eight databases (AMED, CINAHL, EMBASE, MEDLINE, MEDLINE-in-process, Web of Science, Cochrane Library and PsycINFO) with no date restrictions; forwards and backwards citation searches; and contacting first authors of relevant papers. Studies will be dual screened and included if they use recognised qualitative methods and analysis; focus on contextual factors associated with surgical APB within hospital settings; are available in full in English; and are relevant to the research question. Any disagreements between reviewers will be resolved through discussion to reach consensus. Included studies will be read repeatedly to illuminate key concepts and the relationship between key concepts across studies. Then, key concepts will be sorted into conceptual categories or 'piles' which will be further abstracted to form a conceptual framework explaining surgical APB. During the synthesis, emerging interpretations will be discussed with stakeholders (including authors of included studies where possible; surgical and stewardship practitioners; and patient representatives) to ensure new knowledge is meaningful.DiscussionThis research has several strengths: (1) the protocol has been written with reference to established guidance maximising rigour and transparency; (2) the multi-disciplinary research team bring varied interpretative repertoires and relevant methodological skills; and (3) stakeholders will be involved to ensure that findings are relevant, and disseminated via suitable channels, to support improved patient care.Systematic review registrationPROSPERO CRD42020184343.

Project description:BackgroundPoor communication skills can potentially compromise patient care. However, as communication skills training (CST) programs are not seen as a priority to many clinical departments, there is a discernible absence of a standardised, recommended framework for these programs to be built upon. This systematic scoping review (SSR) aims to gather prevailing data on existing CSTs to identify key factors in teaching and assessing communication skills in the postgraduate medical setting.MethodsIndependent searches across seven bibliographic databases (PubMed, PsycINFO, EMBASE, ERIC, CINAHL, Scopus and Google Scholar) were carried out. Krishna's Systematic Evidence-Based Approach (SEBA) was used to guide concurrent thematic and content analysis of the data. The themes and categories identified were compared and combined where possible in keeping with this approach and then compared with the tabulated summaries of the included articles.ResultsTwenty-five thousand eight hundred ninety-four abstracts were identified, and 151 articles were included and analysed. The Split Approach revealed similar categories and themes: curriculum design, teaching methods, curriculum content, assessment methods, integration into curriculum, and facilitators and barriers to CST. Amidst a wide variety of curricula designs, efforts to develop the requisite knowledge, skills and attitudes set out by the ACGME current teaching and assessment methods in CST maybe categorised into didactic and interactive methods and assessed along Kirkpatrick's Four Levels of Learning Evaluation.ConclusionsA major flaw in existing CSTs is a lack of curriculum structure, focus and standardisation. Based upon the findings and current design principles identified in this SSR in SEBA, we forward a stepwise approach to designing CST programs. These involve 1) defining goals and learning objectives, 2) identifying target population and ideal characteristics, 3) determining curriculum structure, 4) ensuring adequate resources and mitigating barriers, 5) determining curriculum content, and 6) assessing learners and adopting quality improvement processes.

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Assessing the Appropriateness of Antimicrobial Prescribing in the Community Setting: A Scoping Review

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