Open AccessInterventions of an Antibiotic Management Team
Author(s) -
Jenney Adam,
O'Reilly Mary,
Meagher Des,
Corallo Carmela E
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
the australian journal of hospital pharmacy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 0310-6810
DOI - 10.1002/jppr199929136
Subject(s) - psychological intervention , medicine , pharmacy , antibiotics , unit (ring theory) , clinical pharmacy , family medicine , medical emergency , intensive care medicine , nursing , psychology , mathematics education , microbiology and biotechnology , biology
Objective: To evaluate interventions made by medical and pharmacy staff in association with an antibiotic approval system at Box Hill Hospital. Design: Ward pharmacists identified all restricted antibiotics and prescribers then obtained approval numbers from the Infectious Diseases Unit. Details of all antibiotic approvals, including interventions, were recorded by the Unit during a three‐month period. Details of ward pharmacists' antibiotic‐related interventions were extracted from the Pharmacy's computer records. Results: During the study period, 195 requests for antibiotics requiring approval numbers were made. Approval was given in 93% of cases and there were 41 additional interventions made by the Infectious Diseases Unit at the time of issuing the number. Overall, treatment was altered on 55 occasions (28%). Pharmacists recorded a further 37 major interventions subsequent to the approval of antibiotics. Conclusion: An approval system for selected antibiotics can limit inappropriate prescribing particularly when a team approach is used.