Outpatient parenteral antibiotic therapy (OPAT) in Asia: missing an opportunity.

Objectives: Healthcare facilities internationally have grown outpatient parenteral antibiotic administration services for the last few decades. The literature contains publications from dozens of countries describing systematized processes with specialist oversight and their levels of service provision and outcomes. Such descriptions are absent in the majority of Asian countries. We sought to elucidate the extent and nature of outpatient parenteral antibiotic therapy (OPAT) in Asia and to consider the ramifications and opportunities for improvement. Methods: Utilizing colleagues and their personal networks, we surveyed healthcare facilities across 17 countries in Asia to ascertain the current means (if any) of providing OPAT. In that survey we also sought to explore the capacity and interest of these facilities in developing systematized OPAT services. Results: Responses were received from 171 different healthcare facilities from 17 countries. Most (97/171, 57%) stated that they administer outpatient parenteral antibiotics, but only 5 of 162 facilities (3%) outside of Singapore described comprehensive services with specialist oversight. Conclusions: There is very likely a large unrecognized problem of unchecked outpatient parenteral antibiotic administration in Asia. Developing comprehensive and systematized OPAT in Asia is needed as a priority in an environment in which the infectious diseases community is demanding broad stewardship approaches. There are nonetheless challenges in establishing and sustaining OPAT programmes. Local champions and leverage off identified local incentives and needs are key to regional advancement.

The Antimicrobal Stewardship Programme: where have we been...where are we going?

The misuse or overuse of antibiotics has been widely documented as one of the major causes of the emergence and transmission of multi-drug resistant organisms (MDRO). Antimicrobial resistance posed significant impacts to the increase in morbidity, mortality and cost of health care. In response to the threat of antibiotic resistance which has increased dramatically over the past ten years and the very few new antibiotics in the pipeline, Princess Margaret Hospital set up a Steering Committee with senior-level representatives from Infectious Disease, Microbiology and Pharmacy departments to devise an interventional programme called the Smart Use of Antibiotics Programme (SMAP) to offer guidance on the judicious use of antimicrobials. With concerted effort and support from hospital management and frontline clinicians, SMAP achieved significant monetary savings and a reduction in inappropriate antibiotic use. There was no adverse patient outcome in terms of mortality and morbidity