Audit of Reserve Antibiotic Prescribing in a Tertiary Care Centre in London

Abstract

Background: Antimicrobial Stewardship (AMS) promotes the monitoring of appropriate use of antibiotics in order to preserve their long-term efficacy. The project aims to review the current practice of reserve (restricted) antibiotics prescribing within the trust based on AMS principles. Methods: A retrospective evaluation of (AMS) daily reports and clinical notes were inspected to collect data such as: name of reserve antibiotic, indication, duration, allergy status, date and time of prescription, missed doses and infectious diseases specialist approval. Results: The findings show that there were 295 Reserve antibiotic prescriptions written between October 2022 and February 2023, and five reserve antibiotics in total were prescribed. 93% of these prescriptions had documentation of the indication, and 82% had documentation of an infectious disease (ID) specialist approval. 73% of these prescriptions included documentation of the duration of reserve antibiotic regimens. Conclusion: Antimicrobial Stewardship (AMS) principles indicate that documenting treatment plans is considered good practice, and in order to effectively manage antibiotic use, promote better documentation and improve prescribing practice, it is critical to educate not only prescribers but also all other healthcare providers that interact with patients who have received an antibiotic.