Implementation of sequential therapy programmes - a pharmacist's view

Sequential antibiotic therapy has a number of advantages in terms of patient benefit and value for money in drug use. Introduction and maintenance of a process to ensure sequential therapy is multidisciplinary: involving clinicians, pharmacists, microbiologists and possibly nurses. The contribution of pharmacists is multi-faceted and involves senior and junior pharmacists working in a number of areas. Pharmacy managers will be involved at policy setting level through the Drug and Therapeutics committee and similar bodies. Purchasing and formulary pharmacists will be involved in negotiating purchasing agreements while clinical pharmacists provide data on the tests and outcomes of treatment. The drug information pharmacist is a valuable resource in searching and interpreting the available literature. Whatever system is used, clinical pharmacists have an important role in identifying patients and monitoring prescribing. In many schemes described in the literature, pharmacists have had an important role in auditing the effectiveness of sequential therapy. There may be scope for developing the clinical pharmacist's role further by devolving, under protocol, increased decision making and medicines management responsibilities.