Scottish Management of Antimicrobial Resistance Action Plan 2014-18 (ScotMARAP2)

Action Plan: Association of Scottish Antimicrobial Pharmacists (ASAP)

The role of ASAP is to provide a professional leadership and a national network for antimicrobial pharmacy and in the context of ScotMARAP 2 to lead delivery of the local antimicrobial stewardship programme.

The key deliverables for ASAP are:

• Support and develop a highly specialised antimicrobial pharmacist workforce including workforce planning and career progression for post holders. Boards should encourage development of staff for practice at accredited advanced level to enable post holders to function as antimicrobial stewardship leaders. (Areas 2 and 3)
• Support the implementation of 'Prescription for Excellence' and lead on the delivery of safe, effective, person-centred pharmaceutical care for patients with infections in all care settings. (Area 2)
• Provide expert advice todevelop guidance for good practice in areas of antimicrobial use where risk has been identified but evidence is lacking or contradictory. (Area 2)
• Utilise advanced technology to monitor trends in antibiotic prescribing in all care sectors. Influence the development of national technology systems to improve information capture and analysis for feed back to prescribers. (Area 5)
• Contribute to national development of educational resources for all professional groups including novel delivery methods.(Area 3)
• Work with public engagement groups locally and nationally to influence public knowledge around best antibiotic use, highlighting the threat of rising resistance and need to target antibiotics use appropriately. (Area 3)

Specific deliverables for NHS board Antimicrobial Pharmacists are:

• Support the AMT lead in championing optimal use of antibiotics aiming to reduce resistance and deliver the best possible outcome for patients with infections and the wider population. Link with local board delivery plans for public health, infection prevention and control and pharmacy to ensure the appropriate use of antibiotics and reduction in resistance is included. (Area 2)
• Work with the AMT lead to continually strive to advance excellent antimicrobial prescribing practice across all prescribers, using quality improvement methodology, rapid process improvement techniques and audit and feedback. (Area 2)
• Oversee the development and delivery of education and training on optimal prescribing practice to all relevant staff groups within own board. (Area 3)
• Act as a role modelfor antimicrobialprescribing by participating in multi-disciplinary team antimicrobial/infection ward rounds in priority clinical areas. (Area 3)
• Continued use of existing information technology systems (PRISMS, PIS, HMUD, AMIDS, local Pharmacy systems) to monitor antibiotic utilisation across primary and secondary care. (Area 5)