A Retrospective Before-and-After Study Evaluating the Impact of Clinical Pharmacist Involvement on Patients Hospitalized with Bacteremia.

BACKGROUND

Bloodstream infections (BSI) are associated with high morbidity and mortality. Inappropriate empirical antimicrobial therapy leads to poor outcomes.

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the impact of clinical pharmacist intervention on the appropriateness of antibiotic treatment in patients hospitalized with bacteremia.

METHODS

A retrospective study was conducted at the Soroka Medical Center in Israel. The intervention was implemented starting in July 2018. We compared 170 patients who received pharmacist intervention (August 2018 to June 2019) to 173 control patients (January 2017 to July 2018). The primary outcome was a composite of appropriate antibiotic choice and dosage.

RESULTS

Pharmacist intervention significantly improved appropriate antibiotic dosing (97.6% vs. 91.3%, P = 0.011) and selection based on pathogen sensitivity (100% vs. 95.4%, P = 0.007). The most significant effect was observed in patients with intermediate renal function (CrCl 30-60 ml/min). Multivariate analysis confirmed pharmacist intervention as a strong predictor of appropriate treatment (odds ratio 5.00, 95% confidence interval 1.64-15.25, P = 0.005). The intervention group had longer hospital stays (median 15 vs. 9 days, P < 0.001) and lower 7-day relapse rates (2.4% vs. 8.7%, P = 0.010).

CONCLUSIONS

Clinical pharmacist interventions significantly improved the appropriateness of antibiotic treatment in patients with bacteremia, particularly in those with intermediate renal function. Despite longer hospital stays, the intervention group had lower early relapse rates than the control group. These findings support the integration of clinical pharmacists into antimicrobial stewardship programs.