GRIP - Prevention or cure: Focusing pharmacists’ efforts on antimicrobial resistance – A debate
Chair(s)
Mr Trevor Gore, Institute of Collaborative Working, United KingdomIntroduction
The session takes a debate format where one team is a proponent for AMR-specific interventions while the other team is a proponent for AMR-sensitive interventions taking due cognisance of the feasibility of such interventions in low to middle income countries (LMICs).
This session will explore whether pharmacists’ efforts to mitigate antimicrobial resistance (AMR) should focus on AMR-specific or AMR-sensitive interventions. Examples of AMR-specific interventions address the use and disposal of antimicrobials as drivers for the evolution of AMR in humans, animals and the environment. AMR-sensitive interventions are related to the prevention of infections that preclude the need for antimicrobials and remove the selection pressure for the development/ escalation of AMR .
Programme
Invited speakers:
- Prof. Parisa Aslani, FIP VP, Australia
- Mr John Bell, Australian Pharmacist Journal
- Prof. Sabiha Essack, University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
- Prof. Andy Gray, University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
- Mrs Victoria Rutter, Commonwealth Pharmacists Association, United Kingdom
- Prof. Tracy Thornley, University of Nottingham, United Kingdom
Learning objectives
- To understand the AMR-specific drivers of AMR, i.e., use and disposal of antimicrobials as drivers for the evolution of AMR in humans, animals and the environment.
- To understand the AMR-sensitive drivers of AMR, i.e., sub-optimal infection prevention and control (IPC) in healthcare facilities, inadequate water sanitation and hygiene (WASH) services and infrastructure in the community and poor vaccination coverage as drivers for AMR transmission.
- To explore the pharmacists’ role in AMR-specific interventions including but not limited to reducing antimicrobial use, antimicrobial stewardship, and, research and development on antimicrobials to cure infections.
- To explore the pharmacists’ role in AMR-sensitive interventions that advance the prevention of infections to preclude the need for antimicrobials and decrease the selection pressure for the development/escalation of AMR.
