Analysis of clinical pharmacists’ awareness on adverse effects of beta-lactam antibiotics: focus on cross-reactivity
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24959/nphj.25.185Abstract
Aim. To assess the level of awareness of students (clinical pharmacists) of advanced training in the specialization “Clinical Pharmacy” about adverse reactions of beta-lactam antibiotics and the level of cross-reactivity between these drugs.
Materials and methods. We developed a questionnaire and conducted an anonymous voluntary remote survey of 34 students specializing in “Clinical Pharmacy”. The survey instrument was a questionnaire containing multiple-choice questions to assess knowledge about the adverse reactions of beta-lactam antibiotics, which prescription was a significant component of all prescriptions of antimicrobial drugs, and the conditions for their prevention. The reliability and validity of the questionnaire questions were previously assessed by experts from the group who did not participate in the survey.
Results. The survey included participants working as clinical pharmacists in clinical healthcare institutions. It was determined that 62 % of respondents had up to 3 years of work experience in the specified position, 32 % had more than 10 years of work experience, and 6 % of respondents had 3 to 5 years of experience as a clinical pharmacist. It was found that clinical pharmacists were well aware of the groups of beta-lactam antibiotics, and most of them were well aware of the adverse reactions of these drugs. Most respondents identified the significance of allergic reactions and the presence of a high risk of cross-reactivity between groups of beta-lactam antibiotics, which was not consistent with current scientific data. Only 53 % of respondents correctly knew that the main factor in allergic reactions to cephalosporins was the side chains of the chemical structure of the drugs, and 59 % of respondents correctly named cephalosporins with side chains similar to penicillins, and therefore, there might be significant cross-reactivity between these agents. The majority of 85 % of respondents mistakenly believed that the frequency of cross-reactivity between penicillins and carbapenems was significant, and at the same time, the majority of 73 % participants were correctly aware of the low risk of cross-reactivity between penicillins and monobactams, while 50 % of clinical pharmacists correctly indicated ceftazidime as a drug that had cross-reactivity with aztreonam.
Conclusions. The results obtained show that clinical pharmacists are well aware of the adverse reactions of beta-lactam antibiotics and the lack of accurate knowledge about the factors and the risk of cross-reactivity between these drugs, which indicates the feasibility of constant updating and improvement of knowledge already at the stage of postgraduate education.
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