Recognizing the opportunity to directly de-label no-risk penicillin allergies in community pharmacy: a mystery shopper experience.

Objectives: Incorrect labelling of a penicillin allergy can lead to unnecessary use of broad-spectrum, less effective, more harmful, or more costly antibiotics. Community pharmacists are well positioned to educate the public on penicillin allergies, prevent incorrect labelling persisting, and optimize prescribing of antibiotics. This study investigated community pharmacists' capacity to recognize an opportunity to directly de-label a no-risk penicillin allergy.

Impact of a sustained, collaborative antimicrobial stewardship programme in spinal cord injury patients.

Background: In patients with spinal cord injuries (SCIs), infections continue to be a leading cause of morbidity, mortality and hospital admission.

Objectives: This study evaluated the long-term impact of a weekly, multidisciplinary Spinal/Antimicrobial Stewardship (AMS) meeting for acute-care SCI inpatients, on antimicrobial prescribing over 3 years.

Methods: A retrospective, longitudinal, pre-post comparison of antimicrobial prescribing was conducted at our tertiary hospital in Melbourne.

Coaching ward pharmacists in antimicrobial stewardship: A pilot study.

Background: Ward pharmacists are well-positioned to enhance the activities of hospital antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) programs by reviewing the appropriateness of antimicrobials and making recommendations to prescribers. However, recent studies have identified gaps in ward pharmacists' AMS practice, knowledge, skills, and confidence which suggests education and training programs are needed.

Objectives: To describe, for the first time, an interactive educational activity - coaching in AMS - targeted at ward pharmacists and explore their perceptions of coaching as a mode of delivering education to improve AMS knowledge, skills, confidence, and practice.

Exploring the practice, confidence and educational needs of hospital pharmacists in reviewing antimicrobial prescribing: a cross-sectional, nationwide survey.

Background: Antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) programs are usually limited in resources and scope. Therefore, wider engagement of hospital pharmacists in reviewing antimicrobial orders is necessary to ensure appropriate prescribing. We assessed hospital pharmacists' self-reported practice and confidence in reviewing antimicrobial prescribing, and their knowledge in making AMS interventions.

Cure of Limb-Threatening XDR Infection: Combining Genome Sequencing, Therapeutic Drug Level Monitoring, and Surgical Debridement.

We describe a case of limb-threatening osteomyelitis and metalware infection with carbapenemase-producing extensively drug-resistant successfully cured with aggressive surgical debridement and combined intravenous fosfomycin and colistin. Real-time therapeutic drug monitoring was used to maximize probability of efficacy and minimize potential for toxicity.