Increase in antimicrobial pharmacy posts may be temporary
Pharmacists taking part in specialist antimicrobial ward rounds and reporting of antibiotic expenditure have both increased significantly although both may be temporary. These are the findings of an interim analysis of the Department of Health’s £12m clinical pharmacy antimicrobial initiative.
Hayley Wickens, senior microbiology pharmacist, St Mary’s Hospital,
London, conducted a survey of acute hospital trusts in England, two years
into the three-year initiative. The interim analysis, which includes
results from 74 of 183 trusts that were contacted, also found that a
third of the posts are not permanent and may disappear when the funding
comes to an end next year.
Almost half of those employed with money from the initiative are D grade
pharmacists, with E and C grade pharmacists,
respectively, being the next largest groups. Over 90 per cent of post
holders have been in their job for less than two years.
Dr Wickens was speaking at a conference on the rational use of antimicrobials
organised by the Specialist Advisory
Committee on Antimicrobial Resistance and the National Prescribing Centre, which was held on 12 July at the
headquarters of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society. A full report of the
meeting will appear in a future issue of The Journal.
New hygiene code A consultation on a new statutory hygiene code
and inspection regimen for the NHS was due to be launched by the
Department of Health this week after The Journal went to press. The
proposed legislation will form part of the new Health Improvement
and Protection bill.
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