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Developing a Tool for Auditing the Quality of Antibiotic Dispensing in Community Pharmacies: A Pilot Study

Authors :
Maarten Lambert
Ria Benkő
Athina Chalkidou
Jesper Lykkegaard
Malene Plejdrup Hansen
Carl Llor
Pia Touboul
Indrė Trečiokienė
Maria-Nefeli Karkana
Anna Kowalczyk
Katja Taxis
PharmacoTherapy, -Epidemiology and -Economics
Source :
Antibiotics; Volume 11; Issue 11; Pages: 1529, Lambert, M, Benki, R, Chalkidou, A, Lykkegaard, J, Hansen, M P, Llor, C, Touboul, P, Treciokiene, I, Karkana, M-N, Kowalczyk, A & Taxis, K 2022, ' Developing a Tool for Auditing the Quality of Antibiotic Dispensing in Community Pharmacies : A Pilot Study ', Antibiotics, vol. 11, no. 11, 1529 . https://doi.org/10.3390/antibiotics11111529, Lambert, M, Benkő, R, Chalkidou, A, Lykkegaard, J, Hansen, M P, Llor, C, Touboul, P, Trečiokienė, I, Karkana, M-N, Kowalczyk, A & Taxis, K 2022, ' Developing a Tool for Auditing the Quality of Antibiotic Dispensing in Community Pharmacies: A Pilot Study ', Antibiotics, vol. 11, no. 11, 1529 . https://doi.org/10.3390/antibiotics11111529, Antibiotics: Special Issue Antimicrobial Use across Different Healthcare Settings, Countries and Specific Populations, Basel : MDPI, 2022, vol. 11, no. 11, art. no. 1529, p. [1-15], Antibiotics, 11(11):1529. MDPI AG
Publication Year :
2022
Publisher :
Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute, 2022.

Abstract

The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control describes the community pharmacist as the gatekeeper to the quality of antibiotic use. The pharmacist has the responsibility to guard safe and effective antibiotic use; however, little is known about how this is implemented in practice. Aims: To assess the feasibility of a method to audit the quality of antibiotic dispensing in community pharmacy practice and to explore antibiotic dispensing practices in Greece, Lithuania, Poland, and Spain. Methods: The Audit Project Odense methodology to audit antibiotic dispensing practice was adapted for use in community pharmacy practice. Community pharmacists registered antibiotic dispensing on a specifically developed registration chart and were asked to provide feedback on the registration method. Results: Altogether, twenty pharmacists were recruited in four countries. They registered a total of 409 dispenses of oral antibiotics. Generally, pharmacists were positive about the feasibility of implementing the registration chart in practice. The frequency of checking for allergies, contraindications and interactions differed largely between the four countries. Pharmacists provided little advice to patients. The pharmacists rarely contacted prescribers. Conclusion: This tool seems to make it possible to get a useful picture of antibiotic dispensing patterns in community pharmacies. Dispensing practice does not seem to correspond with EU guidelines according to these preliminary results Background: The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control describes the community pharmacist as the gatekeeper to the quality of antibiotic use. The pharmacist has the responsibility to guard safe and effective antibiotic use; however, little is known about how this is implemented in practice. Aims: To assess the feasibility of a method to audit the quality of antibiotic dispensing in community pharmacy practice and to explore antibiotic dispensing practices in Greece, Lithuania, Poland, and Spain. Methods: The Audit Project Odense methodology to audit antibiotic dispensing practice was adapted for use in community pharmacy practice. Community pharmacists registered antibiotic dispensing on a specifically developed registration chart and were asked to provide feedback on the registration method. Results: Altogether, twenty pharmacists were recruited in four countries. They registered a total of 409 dispenses of oral antibiotics. Generally, pharmacists were positive about the feasibility of implementing the registration chart in practice. The frequency of checking for allergies, contraindications and interactions differed largely between the four countries. Pharmacists provided little advice to patients. The pharmacists rarely contacted prescribers. Conclusion: This tool seems to make it possible to get a useful picture of antibiotic dispensing patterns in community pharmacies. Dispensing practice does not seem to correspond with EU guidelines according to these preliminary results.

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
20796382
Database :
OpenAIRE
Journal :
Antibiotics; Volume 11; Issue 11; Pages: 1529
Accession number :
edsair.doi.dedup.....f539ffcd7b0d0461a3b88889cf6bc92c
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.3390/antibiotics11111529