A systematic literature review of community pharmacist-led interventions
to optimize the use of antibiotics
Abstract
Objectives. The aim of this systematic review is to assess the effects
of community pharmacist-led interventions to optimize the use of
antibiotics and identify which interventions are most effective.
Methods. This review was conducted according to the PRISMA-P guidelines
(PROSPERO: CRD42020188552). PubMed, EMBASE and the Cochrane Central
Register of Controlled Trials were searched for (randomised) controlled
trials. Included interventions were required to target antibiotic use,
be set in the community pharmacy context and be pharmacist-led. Primary
outcomes were quality of antibiotic supply and adverse effects while
secondary outcomes included patient reported outcomes. Risk of bias was
assessed using the ‘Cochrane suggested risk of bias criteria’ and
narrative synthesis of primary outcomes conducted. Results. Seventeen
studies were included covering in total 3,822 patients (mean age 45.6
years, 61.9% female). Most studies used educational interventions.
Three studies reported on primary outcomes, twelve on secondary outcomes
and two on both. Three studies reported improvements in quality of
dispensing where interventions led to more intensive symptom assessment
and a reduction of OTC or wrong choice antibiotic supply. Some
interventions led to higher consumer satisfaction, effects on adherence
were mixed. All studies had unclear or high risks of bias across at
least one domain, with large heterogeneity between studies. Conclusions.
Our review suggests some possible positive results from pharmacist-led
interventions, but the role of the pharmacist needs to be expanded. This
review should be interpreted as exploratory research, as more
high-quality research is needed. Authors did not receive funding for the
review.