Investigation of Queries Related to Antimicrobial Agents Use in a Tertiary Hospital from 2015 to 2018
Abdullah U. Althemery
Department of Clinical Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Prince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz University, Al-Kharj, Saudi Arabia.
Amal H. AL- Najjar
Pharmacy Services, Security Forces Hospital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Mesfer S. Almalki
Pharmacy Services, Security Forces Hospital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Abdullah A. Alfaifi
Department of Clinical Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Prince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz University, Al-Kharj, Saudi Arabia.
Ahmed K. Aljassem
Pharmacy Services, Security Forces Hospital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Nehad J. Ahmed *
Department of Clinical Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Prince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz University, Al-Kharj, Saudi Arabia.
Ahmad A. Albassam
Department of Clinical Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Prince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz University, Al-Kharj, Saudi Arabia.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Aim: This study compares factors associated with requests for antimicrobial agents versus those for other types of treatment, contrasting the requests of pharmacists versus those of other health-care staff related to antimicrobial agents.
Methods: A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted for all requests received from January 1, 2015, to December 31, 2018. A series of chi-squared tests was used to analyze the relationship between different categories. All data analyses were conducted using the R statistical computing language.
Results: In total, 2,423 requests were received from 2015 to 2018, of which antimicrobial agents accounted for 21.67%. The highest percentages of antimicrobial requests by pharmacists were related to administration and dosage forms, pregnancy and lactation, and stability. A majority of the requests were answered using tertiary resources. The most-requested information regarding antimicrobial agents was related to clindamycin.
Conclusion: Because many requests pertaining to antimicrobial agents were made, as a proportion of total drug and poison information centre requests, from 2015 to 2018, pharmacists should maintain and indeed expand their active role to combat antibiotic resistance.
Keywords: Drug information requests, antimicrobial agents, antibiotics, medical resources.