Netcare N1 City Hospital’s pharmacy group reached out to an old age home in Parow because that is the population that falls victim to resistance, as they are more immunocompromised, users of devices, such as catheters, and are usually taking medicines chronically which can lead to drug interactions.
The Netcare N1 City Pharmacy had an outreach at Pastorie Old Age Home in Parow on Thursday 23 November where the goal was to create antibiotic awareness.
Sriya Naidoo, the clinical pharmacist at Netcare N1 City Hospital, says the pharmacy group chose to reach out to an old age home because that is the population that falls victim to resistance, as they are more immunocompromised, users of devices, such as catheters, and are usually taking medicines chronically which can lead to drug interactions.
“The elderly are sometimes neglected in social settings, so we thought it would be a lovely initiative from our pharmacy to give back to the community,” says Naidoo.
According to Naidoo, over time, the misuse of antimicrobials has led to one of the most serious public health threats, contributing to antimicrobial resistance.
Naidoo says antibiotic resistance occurs when bacteria and/or other microbes mutate or develop the ability to overcome the original antibiotic they were initially sensitive towards, thus leading to treatment failure.
Antibiotic stewardship
“Antibiotic stewardship aims to preserve the effectiveness of our available antimicrobials, reduce adverse events and treatment failures, and ultimately prevent the further progression of resistance. Stewardship also contributes immensely to reducing healthcare costs.”
The pharmacy staff consisted of two pharmacists, Kenneth van der Walt and Sriya Naidoo, two interns, Emihle Mkoko and Mihlali Mngxuma and a pharmacist assistant, Dwaine Johnson. They brought along some tasty treats for the home while they presented.
“We demonstrated how antibiotics gain resistance. We also covered important topics such as how to take your antibiotics correctly, examples of drug-drug and drug-food interactions that can occur when taking antibiotics and practising good personal hygiene which prevents the spread of infection. We were then given a quick tour of the home and lastly took some photos with the staff before departing,” says Naidoo.
Improve and maintain interventions
Naidoo explains her role as a clinical/ward pharmacist is to work as a part of the multidisciplinary team in the hospital and to implement, improve and maintain interventions to ensure the appropriate use of antibiotics in the facility.
The core objective is to reduce antibiotic usage and align usage with actual needs.
“Some of my duties include ensuring the antibiotics are prescribed according to the correct dose based on the patient, monitoring the duration of the antibiotic and if infection cultures are sensitive to the antibiotic used, as well as ensuring the stock reaches the patient on time to commence treatment,” says Naidoo.
