Interdisciplinary Collaboration among Physicians, Pharmacists, and Laboratory Technicians to Optimize Antibiotic Use and Combat Antimicrobial Resistance

Abstract

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a critical global public health challenge. Optimizing the use of antimicrobials is a key component of the global One Health response to preserve their effectiveness, guide the future discovery of new therapeutic agents, and mitigate adverse drug events. Antimicrobial stewardship is defined as “an organizational or healthcare-system-wide approach to promoting and monitoring the correct use of antimicrobials” (Chen et al., 2021). A collaborative practice model engaging physicians, pharmacists, and laboratory technicians addresses antibiotic optimization objectives through team-based care and team-specific workflows designed to enhance the integration of laboratory testing, pharmacotherapy, and the clinical decision-making process while adhering to provincial, federal, and institutional stewardship policies. This collaborative, cross-disciplinary, cross-institutional approach capitalizes on extensive, intertwined expertise in laboratory diagnostics, drug therapies, and clinical guidelines to bridge gaps across the optimization continuum, thereby mitigating the detrimental impacts of AMR.

Numerous institutional initiatives have demonstrated that multidisciplinary stewardship teams comprising physicians, pharmacists, and other health professionals have a positive effect in optimizing the use of antimicrobials (Tran et al., 2020). The resultant improvements in both the appropriateness of therapy commenced and patient outcomes provide compelling evidence of the advantages afforded by collaborative stewardship practice involving members of multiple professions.