A global investigation led by Monash University into antimicrobial knowledge in medicine, pharmacy, nursing, dentistry and veterinary undergraduate students has uncovered a need for better education across all five disciplines to curb the growing threat of antimicrobial resistance and its impact on planetary health.
The university said antimicrobial stewardship is integral to planetary health education as it aims to prepare the future healthcare workforce to promote the responsible use of antimicrobials.
The study found that, to date, interdisciplinary planetary health education has primarily focused on inappropriate antimicrobial use alone. The university said the study highlights an urgent need for a broader understanding of the multiple skills required to combat antimicrobial resistance.
This includes an in-depth knowledge of factors that can contribute to antimicrobial resistance, such as inappropriate disposal and environmental contamination, understanding patterns of antimicrobial usage through various surveillance and auditing methods, false allergies, and, most importantly, the role each health professional can contribute within a team dedicated to antimicrobial stewardship.
In this study, conducted by researchers from Monash’s Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, the team reviewed 144 research articles from a diverse range of countries to identify gaps and trends in antimicrobial knowledge. The goal was to ultimately help inform planetary health curriculums and improve antimicrobial stewardship within healthcare settings around the world.
One of the study’s lead authors, Dr Angelina Lim, Deputy Pharmacy Course Director at Monash’s Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, said antimicrobial stewardship in healthcare is multifaceted.
“While a solid understanding of inappropriate antimicrobial use is important in the fight against antimicrobial resistance, comprehension of other key factors, such as responsible disposing of medicines and ongoing surveillance methods, needs to be addressed in healthcare education if we are to combat the growing threat of antimicrobial resistance and its impact on both human and planetary health,” said Dr Lim.
In addition to the need for more training and education in the field of appropriate antimicrobial prescribing, the study also found that students are more familiar with the term ‘antimicrobial resistance’ compared to ‘antimicrobial stewardship’ indicating the need for greater awareness in this area.
Shahd Alzard, lead author, Monash Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences PhD candidate and hospital pharmacist at Northern Health, said she hopes this review will provide a strong foundation for health professional academics to instigate interprofessional antimicrobial stewardship innovations and programs.
“Further research is encouraged to develop a standardised definition of certain antimicrobial stewardship principles that expands beyond the scope of prescribing and encompasses the multiple factors jeopardising the health of the planet as a result of antimicrobial resistance,” said Ms Alzard.
“My hope is that we start to see a notable uptick in the implementation of antimicrobial stewardship education and training at the undergraduate level, at a time when knowledge and attitudes of students are still being shaped.”