Irrational use of antimicrobial agents has led to the emergence of
antimicrobial resistance. The Infectious Diseases Society of America and The Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention recommend that a clinical pharmacist with
infectious diseases training should participate in the antimicrobial stewardship teams.
Several authors stated that antimicrobial stewardship effectively reduces inappropriate
antimicrobial use, cost, and hospital stays. Prospective audits and feedback can reduce
the inappropriate use of antimicrobials. Clinical pharmacists may help orient the
healthcare team on selecting appropriate antimicrobial agents, administration routes,
dosing, treatment discontinuation, monitoring for toxicities, and therapeutical drug
monitoring. Clinical pharmacists are important members of antimicrobial stewardship
in the inpatient and outpatient settings. Antimicrobial stewardship pharmacists should
have a role that includes designing and implementing antimicrobial stewardship
interventions, measuring outcomes and relevant data, and management strategies. The
participation of pharmacists in antimicrobial stewardship programs may increase
compliance with guideline recommendations of antimicrobial therapies and improve
adherence and response to treatment. Clinical pharmacist recommendations can also
help prevent medication errors, such as missing or incorrect medications, inappropriate
dosing, drug-drug interactions, or inadequate renal and hepatic function adjustment.
This book chapter highlights the roles of an infectious disease-trained clinical
pharmacist in the infectious diseases ward.
Keywords: Antimicrobial stewardship, Antibacterial, Antifungal, Antiviral, Audit, Clinical pharmacist, Drug-drug interactions, Drug-related problems, Education feedback, Infectious diseases, Medication review, Medication reconciliation, Patient counseling, Rational drug use, Therapeutic drug monitoring.
