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Enhancing antifungal stewardship: The educational and healthcare benefits of involving pharmacy students in audits

Summary

This study examined how pharmacy students could help improve the use of fluconazole, a common antifungal medication, in hospitals. Researchers found that nearly one-third of fluconazole prescriptions were not being used appropriately. By having pharmacy students participate in reviewing prescriptions under expert supervision, hospitals could better identify problems and educate future pharmacists, while the students gained valuable real-world experience in patient care.

Background

Antifungal stewardship is essential for promoting quality care and addressing drug resistance. Studies show that 33-71% of antifungal prescriptions may be inappropriate. Barriers to antifungal stewardship include limited pharmacist time and expertise, which pharmacy students could help address.

Objective

To conduct a clinical audit of fluconazole prescribing at two Sydney hospitals and evaluate whether involving pharmacy students in this audit process was feasible and meaningful from both educational and healthcare perspectives.

Results

Of 145 prescriptions: 62.8% were appropriate, 31.7% inappropriate, and 5.5% not assessable. Directed therapy had highest appropriateness (73.2%), while prophylaxis had most inappropriate prescriptions (30.4%). Drug-drug interactions were identified in 17 patients, with 3 clinically significant. Students reported positive experiences with 60% finding activities enjoyable and all reporting enhanced knowledge of antifungals and antimicrobial stewardship.

Conclusion

Involving pharmacy students in antifungal audits is feasible and provides significant educational benefits while supporting hospital stewardship activities. Successful implementation requires comprehensive training, adequate supervision, and clinical support to ensure audit accuracy and meaningful student learning outcomes.
  • Published in:Medical Mycology,
  • Study Type:Retrospective Audit with Educational Evaluation,
  • Source: PMID: 40828582
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