Clinical and Economic Impact of Interventions by a Clinical Pharmacist on Antibiotic Use on Surgical Wards

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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The purpose of this study is to establish the impact of a pharmacist's recommendations regarding choice, dosing and duration of antibiotic therapy on quality and cost of antibiotic treatment on surgical wards.

Detailed Description
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Inappropriate or incorrect use of antibacterials exerts selection pressure on pathogens potentiating emergence of resistance, puts patients at risk for unnecessary adverse drug reactions and potentially prolongs the length of stay in hospital thus increasing healthcare costs. In an effort to improve the quality of antibiotic drug therapy on surgical wards of a large university hospital, specific consulting by a clinical pharmacist was established. The objective of this study is to assess the impact of pharmaceutical consulting on the quality and costs of antibiotic use in surgical wards. Comparison: Within a control period the current pattern of antibiotic use is monitored. During the intervention period, the impact of the interventions made by the clinical pharmacist on antibiotic use is examined. One ward serves as a parallel control group; no intervention is being made on this ward throughout this study.

Official Title
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Clinical and Economic Impact of Interventions by a Clinical Pharmacist on Antibiotic Use on Surgical Wards

Conditions
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Bacterial Infections

Intervention / Treatment
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* Behavioral: pharmaceutical consulting


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: female and male patients receiving antibiotics for a proven or suspected infection on designated surgical wards Exclusion Criteria: patients under 18 patients unable or unwilling to consent to their data being evaluated patients receiving antibiotics perioperatively as prophylaxis patients receiving antibiotics for less than 48hrs

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 18 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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No

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Design Details

Primary Purpose: Health Services Research
Allocation: Non-Randomized
Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Other: Pharmaceutical counseling<br> | Behavioral: pharmaceutical consulting<br>* to measure if information and advice by a pharmacist has an impact on quality and quantity of prescribed antibacterials<br>|

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| overall duration of antibiotic therapy during study period |  | Feb 2008 | 

Secondary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| iv to oral switch | number of courses of iv antibiotics switched to oral antibiotics; duration of iv treatment | Feb 2008 | 
| compliance of treatment with hospital formulary for antibiotic therapy |  | Feb 2008 | 
| cost of antibiotic therapy |  | Feb 2008 | 
| number and duration of therapy with antibiotics with redundant spectra |  | Feb 2008 | 

 Terms related to the study
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Keywords Provided by Centre Hospitalier Valida
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antibacterial agents, surgery, pharmacist, economics, pharmaceutical