Role of clinical pharmacists in reducing antimicrobial resistance: systematic review

Abstract Background Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) is defined as the resistance of bacterial, viral, parasitic and fungal microorganisms to antimicrobial medicines that were previously effective for treatment of infectious disease. It is a major international concern in both developed and developing countries. Therefore, the aim of this review is to investigate the role of clinical pharmacists in reducing antimicrobial resistance. Methods The databases Medline, PubMed, International Pharmaceutical Abstracts (IPA), and EMBASE were searched for articles published between 1999 and 2019 that involved studies on the role of clinical pharmacists and the expanded services of clinical pharmacists in health care system and their contributions in antimicrobial use. Results Studies from different countries have demonstrated that the roles of clinical pharmacists in health care team resulting in improved clinical outcome and economic outcome. Conclusions This review highlights that integration of clinical pharmacist services in healthcare systems will assist in reducinggrowing of catastrophic AMR.