The European Association of Hospital Pharmacists (EAHP) has issued a call to policy-makers in the European Union to make 2015 a year of action with respect to the antimicrobial resistance challenge.


The new policy statement published by 34 national member associations reminds policy makers of the opportunities available to them as well as highlights the vital role that hospital pharmacists could play in improving antibiotic usage.


According to President Dr. Robert Frontini, "the threat antimicrobial resistance poses to healthcare in Europe is hard to overstate. Yet we also know a wide array of policy actions are available. The missing component is serious political intent to drive improvement in how antibiotics are used, and to create an enhanced research environment for new antimicrobial agents."


Stewardship of antimicrobials in hospitals across Europe can be accomplished by utilising the expert role of the hospital pharmacist. According to the policy statement, hospital pharmacists should be empowered to make direct interventions within multidisciplinary care teams. This could help improve the use of antibiotics because pharmacists would have the ability to review antibiotic duration as well as advice on the cessation of antibiotic treatment that they deem inappropriate.


In addition, pharmacists can advise healthcare professionals on the importance of restricting excessive use of certain antibiotics. Overall, a central point of the appeal includes the need to achieve the full potential of the pharmacists' role and for health system managers to increase the input of the hospital pharmacist. 


EAHP has also urged the European Commission to review the other roles it could possibly play alongside the government and other stakeholders in improving the research and development of new antimicrobials. Moreover, there is a need to improve the monitoring and regulation of antibiotic use in sectors such as agriculture, veterinary and aquaculture.


The policy statement has been agreed upon by a unanimous vote of the member associations at the General Assembly of the EAHP, June 2014, Sofia. EAHP's policy statement on antimicrobial resistance is available here.
 


Source: EuropeanAssociation of Hospital Pharmacists

Image Credit: Pixabay

«« EMA Backs Record Number of Drugs in 2014


New Antibiotic Teixobactin Could be a Game-Changer »»



Latest Articles

EAHP, antibiotics, antimicrobial resistance, hospital pharmacist, healthcare in Europe The European Association of Hospital Pharmacists (EAHP) has issued a call to policy-makers in the European Union to make 2015 a year of action with respec...