Clostridioides difficile infection: management A summary of the updates to National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidance related to the management of Clostridioides difficile infection and the implications for pharmacy practice across primary and secondary care.…
How to evaluate the clinical appropriateness of an antimicrobial Clinically reviewing the choice of antimicrobial for individual patients is an effective way for pharmacists to contribute to the fight against antimicrobial resistance.…
Oral candidiasis: causes, types and treatment Pharmacists and pharmacy teams should be able to recognise oral thrush, a common yeast infection, and provide appropriate treatment advice to resolve infections.…
Welsh pharmacy sore throat test and treat service ‘should not be routinely adopted’, review finds The use of rapid antigen detection tests in community pharmacies for the diagnosis and management of people with group A streptococcal infections should not be routinely adopted, according to guidance from Health Technology Wales.…
Stuck in the 1950s: why UTI diagnosis badly needs an update Urinary tract infections are the second most common reason for prescribing an antibiotic and, with antimicrobial stewardship a priority for the government, the stakes for accurate diagnosis are being raised ever higher.…
Differential diagnosis: cold, flu or COVID-19? An overview of the main differences between the symptoms for colds, flu and COVID-19, to enable pharmacy teams to advise patients effectively on their management, including treatment and/or referral.…
Point-of-care testing for influenza could improve antimicrobial use, feasibility study concludes Point-of-care testing for influenza is feasible in primary care and may improve antimicrobial use, a study in the British Journal of General Practice has concluded.…
Delaying antibiotics in upper respiratory tract infection could increase risk of hospital admission, study suggests Delayed antibiotic prescribing is associated with an increase in the risk of infection-related hospital admissions and repeat antibiotic prescribing in patients with upper respiratory tract infection, a study in Clinical Infectious Diseases has suggested.…
Pharmacists should make themselves familiar with the Antifungal Drug Interactions DatabaseIn this time of growing antimicrobial resistance, we do not have unlimited ways to effectively treat a systemic infection. We must be antimicrobial stewards and use antimicrobials responsibly to preserve their effectiveness[1] . This applies to antifungals too — not just antibiotics[2…
We need a national de-labelling drive for patients with penicillin allergy False penicillin allergies are placing patients at risk of resistant infections and are a threat to antimicrobial stewardship; we must safely de-label patients to avoid these costs to public health.…
