As medicines experts, pharmacists have an important responsibility in helping to prevent antimicrobial resistance and supporting the principles of good antimicrobial stewardship.

Antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) refers to any action that promotes responsible use of antimicrobials. AMS can also be defined as a set of coordinated interventions designed to improve and measure the appropriate use of antimicrobials. Pharmacists can contribute to antimicrobial stewardship by incorporating relevant principles into their day-to-day practice to help limit the development of antimicrobial resistance.

The purpose of AMS is to:

• Support delivery of the right antimicrobial, at the right time, dose and duration to meet patients’ needs.
• Protect patients from avoidable harm related to inappropriate antimicrobial use.
• Ensure that antimicrobials remain effective for the future by limiting the emergence of antimicrobial resistance.

Further information, including examples of antimicrobial stewardship activities by pharmacists can be found on the PSI website at the following link: Antimicrobial resistance – information for pharmacists.

Resources to support pharmacists in adhering to the principles of good AMS:

• Pharmacist Antimicrobial Stewardship Network (PAMS-Net) is a collaborative forum developed by the HSE Antimicrobial Resistance and infection Control AMRIC team and the Irish Institute of Pharmacy (IIOP) to support pharmacists across all settings to act as antimicrobial stewards. The network aims to support pharmacists across all sectors to work towards the common goal of promoting responsible use of antimicrobials in all patients and limiting the emergence of antimicrobial resistance. Further information is the available on the IIOP website: PAMS-net . Here is a link to a video which gives further information, including instructions on how to join PAMS-Net. (Please note - access to the PAMS-Net section of the IIOP website is available to pharmacists registered in Ireland).
• The Antimicrobial Stewardship section of the IIOP Resource Hub is a useful source of information. It includes links to relevant microlearning videos on topics such as: GREEN and RED antibiotics, Recurrent urinary tract infections, and Childhood infections. See here: Antimicrobial Stewardship Resources.
• The HSE website provides further information, tools and resources on antimicrobial resistance at the following link  Antimicrobial Stewardship including HSE Antimicrobial Stewardship Guidance for all Healthcare Settings.
• IIOP's Antimicrobial Stewardship for Community Pharmacists online programme is an educational resource on antimicrobial stewardship and aims to equip pharmacists with knowledge and tools to optimise antibiotic use for patients and the public. This online resource is available on the IIOP website, under Courses and Events (search under Online Resources) here. Please note - access to this section of the IIOP website is only available to pharmacists registered in Ireland.