SACAR publishes hospital antimicrobial guideline template
Good practice in developing hospital antimicrobial guidance is set out in a template published by the prescribing sub-group of the Specialist Advisory Committee on Antimicrobial Resistance (SACAR).
The template provides advice on the background and introduction to guidance
and how antimicrobials should be categorised according to prescribing
restrictions. It also suggests common infections for which a treatment
regimen should be provided and situations where guidance should be given
on antimicrobial prophylaxis.
“Everyone involved in the monitoring of prescribing of antimicrobials
should consult the guidelines”, said Jonathan Cooke, chair of the
prescribing sub-group of SACAR and chief pharmacist, South Manchester
University Hospitals NHS Trust. Dr Cooke pointed out that the Healthcare
Commission could use this template as a basis for assessing medicines
management serivces (see story above).
The
template is reproduced on p280 (PDF 50K).
Around 90 per cent of antimicrobial pharmacists have come into
post since extra funding from the Department of Health was announced
in 2003. This is according to Hayley Wickens, senior microbiology
pharmacist, St Mary’s Hospital, London, who has analysed
the clinical pharmacy initiative.
|
|
Hospital Pharmacist