Developing a competency-based approach to facilitate teaching and learning of antimicrobial stewardship as part of environmental sustainability in higher education.

Tonna, Antonella; Allison, David; Ashiru-Oredope, Diane; Damant, Gill; Root, Helen; Shemilt, Kate; Bullen, Kathryn; Frost, Kevin; Aldeyab, Mamoon; Courtenay, Molly; Fleming, Naomi; Harrison, Roger; Hamilton, Ryan; Tipping, Sally; Martin, Sandra

Abstract

The environmental impact of the inappropriate use of antimicrobials and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is recognised by global organisations, such as the World Health Organisation and the European Union. Antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) is one strategy to promote appropriate use of antimicrobials to minimise AMR and is a priority for the NHS to ensure sustainable prescribing. It is therefore imperative to support and empower future health care professionals by providing them with the knowledge to be leaders in the field of AMS. National consensus-based competencies for teaching AMS to undergraduate healthcare professionals in the UK were launched in 2018. This generic framework includes competencies relating to specific aspects of antimicrobial prescribing and infection control, and also emphasizes the importance of collaborative interprofessional working. The aim of this project is to determine which AMS competencies are required to be met by student pharmacists. This pedagogic approach will provide a guiding tool for curricula development, and will allow identification of gaps and strengths within the undergraduate pharmacy curriculum. To enable the development of a UK-wide national AMS competency framework specifically for student pharmacists, a working group of academics and pharmacy practitioners with expertise in AMS was set up in September 2022. The diverse backgrounds of group members provide a healthy mix of ideas, with academics informing the group of what may be achievable within the constraints and professional requirements of the pharmacy curriculum, and pharmacy practitioners providing input into essential AMS competencies for early-career pharmacists. Student pharmacists from a national organisation are being invited to join the group to encourage co-designing of this curriculum. Considering the UN commitment to act on global antimicrobial resistance and the NHS Sustainable Development management plan, this project is timely and of great importance to support development of future pharmacists as leaders in environmental sustainability.

Citation

TONNA, A., ALLISON, D., ASHIRU-OREDOPE, D., DAMANT, G., ROOT, H., SHEMILT, K., BULLEN, K., FROST, K., ALDEYAB, M., COURTENAY, M., FLEMING, N., HARRISON, R., HAMILTON, R., TIPPING, S. and MARTIN, S. 2023. Developing a competency-based approach to facilitate teaching and learning of antimicrobial stewardship as part of environmental sustainability in higher education. Presented at re-imagining education: collaboration and compassion, 12-14 June 2023, Aberdeen, UK.

• Presentation Conference Type: Presentation / Talk
• Conference Name: 2023 International higher education teaching and learning annual conference (HETL 2023): re-imagining education: collaboration and compassion
• Start Date: Jun 12, 2023
• End Date: Jun 14, 2023
• Deposit Date: Jun 26, 2023
• Publicly Available Date: Jun 26, 2023
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Keywords: Antimicrobial resistance; Antimicrobial stewardship; Pharmacy students
• Public URL: https://rgu-repository.worktribe.com/output/1997444