Use of a Structured Method of Antimicrobial Stewardship at a City Hospital by Pharmacy Students

The objective of this study was to determine the utility of a structured method of antimicrobial stewardship by Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experience students and assess student perceptions of the tool. Pharmacy students on rotation were trained to utilize a structured team antibiotic review form (TARF) as a tool to participate in antimicrobial stewardship. Students completed anonymous evaluations regarding their confidence in performing stewardship after completing their rotation, and preceptors quantified total student interventions. Data analysis was conducted using descriptive statistics. The Fisher’s Exact Test was used to compare students’ confidence before and after using TARFs. Twenty-six students participated in antimicrobial stewardship using TARFs, resulting in 889 interventions. Nearly 96% of students reported that TARFs helped them evaluate patient antibiotics in a way that was easy to follow and that TARFs provided them with an organized and structured way to systematically evaluate antibiotics. All students felt that the TARFs increased their knowledge on how to evaluate antibiotics. Significantly more students were confident in participating in antimicrobial stewardship after using the TARF. TARF use allowed students to substantially contribute to stewardship, and provided them with a structured guide allowing for improved student knowledge and confidence.