Antibiotic award for point-of-care test

Efi Mantzourani, a Senior Lecturer at the School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, has won an Antibiotic Guardian Award for work undertaken as part of a team in the NHS Wales Informatics Service (NWIS). The awards were established to celebrate health professionals worldwide who tackle the growing problem of antibiotic resistance.

Award categories included Animal Health and Diagnostics among others, and it was in the category of Innovation and Technology that Dr Mantzourani’s team were victorious. NWIS was established in 2010 to deliver technology and first-class digital health systems and services needed for modern patient care. Their efforts in the fight against antibiotic resistance were recognised for the use of Choose Pharmacy in their pilot Sore Throat Test and Treat service.

This initiative involves a consultation with a pharmacist who has received additional training, whereby  a clinical examination is conducted and, where needed, a point-of-care test. This helps to guide antibiotic supply only when a bacterial infection is suspected. Antibiotics have no effect on viruses and if the complaint is suspected to be of viral origin the pharmacist gives advice to the patient on how to best recover, without the need for antibiotics. The service also aims to rebalance management of uncomplicated acute sore throats between GPs and pharmacists because if an antibiotic supply is needed this can be made by the pharmacist based on predetermined dosing schemes.

Dr Mantzourani said: “Empowering pharmacists to provide self-care via Choose Pharmacy has been a long-term aim of our team, and we are extremely proud that this has been recognised at an international level. We’ve also received congratulations by the Minister of Health and Social Services for our contribution to the NHS in Wales.”