Pharmacists’ contributions towards antimicrobial therapy in an intensive care setting

Abstract

Aims: To explore clinical interventions related to antimicrobial therapy carried out by pharmacists in an intensive care unit (ICU) and assess significance of such interventions to prevent potential ADEs.

Introduction: Antimicrobials are among the most commonly used medications in intensive care where infections are frequently prevalent among critically ill patients. Management of antimicrobials in critically ill patients with sepsis or septic shock can be challenging due to physiological changes that affect drug pharmacokinetics, as well as interpatient variability. The importance of optimising antimicrobial therapy is underscored by variations in both efficacy and toxicity of these medications in critically ill patients. Pharmacist s, being part of the multidisciplinary team, can contribute significantly in optimising antimicrobial therapy by selecting the most appropriate drug dosage, frequency, and method of administration to match patient clinical needs and monitor for risk of adverse drug events (ADEs) associated with these medications. This study aimed to explore clinical interventions related to antimicrobial therapy carried out by pharmacists in an intensive care unit (ICU) and assess t he significance of such interventions in preventing potential ADEs.