OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the clinical pharmacist interventions on antibiotic therapy and the response of physicians toward these interventions

METHODS: The surveillance study was conducted under the initiative of the clinical pharmacy department in a secondary care hospital in South India from December 2020 to May 2021 to evaluate the appropriateness and rationality of the antibiotic prescription at the Internal Medicine Department. Demographic details of the patients including the age, sex, and medication error (in drug selection, dose, frequency, route of administration) were documented. and category of intervention was prospectively recorded. The category, as well as the implementation status of the interventions, were compared with various associated factors using the chi-square test and p-value < 0.05% considered statistically significant.

RESULTS: Of a total of 413 interventions, the overall acceptance rate was 56.1% (232). Frequently observed irrationality in antibiotics prescribing was with improper dosage adjustment in comorbid conditions. The interventions for antibiotic therapy optimization include IV to oral conversion and spectra-based drug selection. The acceptance of clinical pharmacist opinion was positively correlated with the good interpersonal relationship of the physician as well as the evidence from standard references. The acceptance rate was more among the patients with insurance claims with no statistical significance.

CONCLUSIONS: The study highlights the importance of evidence-based therapy and multidisciplinary healthcare team workups.