Exploring the attitudes, knowledge and perceptions of clinical pharmacists’ on antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) participation and the discord between pharmacy education and actual clinical practice

Abstract

Introduction: Antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) is a critical global intervention aimed at optimising antimicrobial use and decreasing antimicrobial resistance (AMR), with pharmacists playing a pivotal role within AMS teams. However, AMS is not comprehensively taught in pharmacy curricula and little is known about the relevance of pharmacists' training to meet AMS needs in South Africa. This study aimed to determine the attitudes, knowledge and perceptions of clinical pharmacists’ towards AMS participation and training in South Africa. This aim will be achieved by determining the attitudes, knowledge and perceptions of pharmacists’ towards their role and participation in AMS; in addition to exploring clinical pharmacists’ perception on the relevance of pharmacy training on pharmacy practice with regards to AMS. Methods: A quantitative cross sectional research design was selected for this study. The study was conducted using a self-administered survey. Categorical variables were analyzed using simple descriptive statistics. Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis tests were applied to determine differences between variables. A p-value of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Reliability coefficient was tested, Cronbach’s alpha score of 0.90 for perceptions, 0.91 for participation and 0.91 for factors affecting participation. Results: Pharmacists demonstrated a good attitude, knowledge and perception towards AMS (median 4.3). There were statistically significant differences in AMS participation between pharmacists of different years of experience (P=0.005), sector of employment (P=0.01), position of employment (P=0.015) and in the presence of AMS programmes (P=0.004). Pharmacists indicated that undergraduate studies less than adequately prepared them for their role in AMS (median 4.3). Conclusion: Pharmacists show positive attitudes, knowledge and perceptions towards AMS. Education and training in AMS principles is obtained through Master’s programmes, short courses, CPDs and workshops. It is insufficiently incorporated in undergraduate programmes.