A study conducted at hospitals in Michigan highlights the role that pharmacists can play in improving antimicrobial prescribing during transitions of care.

The study, published this week in JAMA Network Open, found that a pharmacist-led, multidisciplinary review of discharge planning for patients leaving the hospital with an antimicrobial prescription for an uncomplicated infection was associated with markedly improved antimicrobial prescribing. There was also a reduction in antimicrobial-associated harms following implementation of the program.

The study authors say the findings also highlight transitions of care—the movement of patients from one setting of care to another—as an important, and overlooked, focus of antimicrobial stewardship in hospitals.

"The findings of this quality improvement study suggest that leveraging resources to provide additional review and intervention on antimicrobial discharge therapies may lead to improvements in the quality and safety of antimicrobial prescriptions," they wrote.

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