Evaluation of the perspective of pharmacists on antimicrobial stewardship and the barriers to its consolidation in hospitals: a cross-sectional study.

Abstract

Antimicrobial Stewardship Programs (ASPs) are associated with positive outcomes, but seem to be consolidated in few hospitals. This study aimed to evaluate ASPs in Brazilian hospitals and the barriers to their consolidation from the pharmacists' perspective. This is a cross-sectional study. Data were collected through an online questionnaire applied to hospital pharmacists. Data analysis was performed by descriptive statistics and Spearman's ordinal correlation test. A total of 83 pharmacists participated in the study and 45.8% stated that the hospital in which they worked had an ASP. The ASPs were predominantly implemented in public hospitals, with a greater number of beds in the intensive care unit and beds in general. The main barriers to the consolidation of ASPs were: reduced number of pharmacists, time allocated to other demands of the pharmacy, the ineffectiveness of the communication process with doctors, and lack of access to reliable information about antimicrobials in the hospital. Pharmacists that work in hospitals where ASPs were implemented were more confident (p = 0.000) and with a better perception of the barriers that prevent their consolidation (p = 0.003. The ASP was commonly adopted in public hospitals with a greater number of beds. The main obstacles to consolidation were infrastructure, economic, and educational resources.