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Pharmacist Role in Infection Control
Pharmacist Role in Infection Control
Pharmacist Role in Infection Control
distribution to prescribers within the health system to mulary restriction and preauthorization, enhances the effec-
guide empirical therapy. tiveness of educational activities in the patient care setting.1
6. Utilizing information technology to enhance antimi- Specific activities may include
crobial stewardship through surveillance, utilization
and outcome reporting, and the development of clini- 1. Providing clinical conferences, newsletters, and other
cal decision-support tools. types of educational forums for health professionals
7. Facilitating safe medication management practices on topics such as antimicrobial use and resistance,
for antimicrobial agents by utilizing efficient and ef- decontaminating agents (disinfectants, antiseptics,
fective systems to reduce potential errors and adverse and sterilants), aseptic technique and procedures, and
drug events. sterilization methods.
2. Educating and counseling inpatients, ambulatory care
Reducing the Transmission of Infections. Pharmacists patients, home care patients, and their families and
should participate in efforts to prevent or reduce the trans- caregivers in the following areas: adherence to pre-
mission of infections among patients, health care workers, scribed directions for antimicrobial use, storage and
and others within all of the health system’s applicable prac- handling of medications and administration devices,
tice settings. This may be accomplished through and other infection prevention and control procedures
(e.g., medical waste disposal).
1. Participating in the infection prevention and control 3. Participating in public health education and awareness
committee (or its equivalent). programs aimed at controlling the spread of infectious
2. Establishing internal pharmacy policies, procedures, diseases by
and quality-control programs to prevent contamination a. Promoting prudent use of antimicrobials,
of drug products prepared in or dispensed by the phar- b. Providing immunization access for children and
macy department. This is of paramount importance adults, an
in the preparation and handling of sterile products.3 c. Promoting appropriate infection prevention and
Other considerations include (but are not limited to) control measures (e.g., proper hand hygiene
provisions for cleaning pharmaceutical equipment techniques).
(e.g., laminar-airflow hoods and bulk-compounding 4. Providing exposure to antimicrobial stewardship and
equipment) and establishment of appropriate per- infection prevention and control practices through
sonnel policies (e.g., limiting the activities of staff experiential and didactic training for practicing
members who exhibit symptoms of a viral respiratory health-system pharmacists, students, residents, and
illness or other infectious condition). research fellows.
3. Encouraging the use of single-dose packages of sterile
drug products rather than multiple-dose containers, ex- Education and Training of Pharmacists
cept in sterile environments.
4. Recommending proper labeling, dating, and storage of ASHP recognizes that the current shortage of pharmacists
sterile products and multiple-dose sterile-product con- with advanced training in infectious diseases and the limited
tainers (if used). number of training opportunities may require pharmacists
5. Encouraging routine immunization (e.g., influenza without such training to assume some of the responsibilities
vaccination) of hospital staff and others who impact described above. ASHP supports the expansion of pharmacy
the patient care environment, and promoting periodic education and postgraduate residency training on infectious
screening for selected transmissible diseases (e.g., tu- diseases in order to develop an adequate supply of pharma-
berculosis) in accordance with health-system policy cists trained to deliver these essential services.
and federal, state, or local regulations.
6. Promoting adherence to standard precautions by
health care workers, patients, and others who impact Conclusion
the patient care environment.4
7. Collaborating in the development of guidelines for ASHP believes that pharmacists have a responsibility to
take prominent roles in antimicrobial stewardship and in-
risk assessment, treatment, and monitoring of patients
fection prevention and control programs in health systems.
and health care workers who have been in contact with
Pharmacists should participate in antimicrobial stewardship
persons with a transmissible infectious disease. and infection prevention and control efforts through clinical
8. Striving for zero tolerance of health care-associated endeavors focused on proper antimicrobial utilization and
infections, including surgical site infections, catheter- membership on relevant multidisciplinary work groups and
associated bloodstream infections, catheter-associated committees within the health system.
urinary tract infections, and ventilator-associated
pneumonia.
References
Educational Activities. The pharmacist’s role includes
providing education and information about antimicrobial 1. Dellit TH, Owens RC, McGowen JE, et al. Infectious
stewardship and infection prevention and control to health Diseases Society of America and the Society for
professionals, patients, and members of the public who Healthcare Epidemiology of America guidelines for
come in contact with the health system’s practice settings. developing an institutional program to enhance antimi-
Incorporating active intervention techniques, such as for- crobial stewardship. Clin Infect Dis. 2007; 44:159–77.
Medication Therapy and Patient Care: Specific Practice Areas–Statements 293
2. American Society of Health-System Pharmacists. Kollef M, Shapiro S, Fraser V, et al. A randomized trial of
ASHP guidelines on the pharmacist’s role in the de- ventilator circuit changes. Ann Intern Med. 1995; 123:
velopment, implementation, and assessment of critical 168–74.
pathways. Am J Health-Syst Pharm. 2004; 61:939–45. MacDougall C, Polk RE. Antimicrobial stewardship pro-
3. American Society of Health-System Pharmacists. grams in health care systems. Clin Microbiol Rev.
ASHP guidelines on quality assurance for pharmacy- 2005 Oct; 18(4):638–56.
prepared sterile products. Am J Health-Syst Pharm. Sepkowitz KA. Occupationally acquired infections in
2000; 57:1150–69. health care workers. Ann Intern Med. 1996; 125:826–
4. Siegel JD, Rhinehart E, Jackson M, et al. 2007 guideline 34,917–28.
for isolation precautions: preventing transmission of in- Shlaes DM, Gerding DN, John JF Jr., et al. SHEA and IDSA
fectious agents in healthcare settings, June 2007. www. Joint Committee on the Prevention of Antimicrobial
cdc.gov/ncidod/dhqp/pdf/guidelines/Isolation2007.pdf Resistance: guidelines for the prevention of antimi-
(accessed 2009 Feb 18). crobial resistance in hospitals. Clin Infect Dis. 1997;
25:584–99.
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