UK Community pharmacists will be called upon by the British Government to play an active role reviewing the dose and duration of antimicrobial prescriptions, as part of the country's plans to battle antimicrobial resistance.
The commitment made by the Department of Health and Social Care includes "enhancing the role of pharmacists...to review the dose and duration of antimicrobial prescriptions (especially long-term or repeat ones) and work with prescribers to review those that are inappropriate through evidence-based, system-wide interventions".
The government said targets include cutting the number of drug-resistant infections by 10% (5,000 infections) by 2025, reducing the use of antibiotics in humans by 15% and preventing at least 15,000 patients from contracting infections as a result of their healthcare each year by 2024.
In addition, clinical pharmacists in care homes and GP practices will "enhance antimicrobial stewardship through knowledge exchange and learning", the department said.
Officials also warned that online pharmacies selling antibiotics threaten plans and can also expect "significant regulatory attention".
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