Challenges Faced by Health Facilities in Implementing Antimicrobial Stewardship Program: A Narrative Review

Abstract

Background: Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) has become a significant world-wide health problem. Antimicrobial use though necessary, overusing/misusing can have detrimental long-term effects. Managing AMR involves a lot of challenges, therefore appropriate strategies must be developed to overcome them. Methods: We conducted a comprehensive search using web-based search engines employing a combination of search terms. The search yielded 404 papers between 2000 and 2021. We took up Forty-four papers fulfilling the inclusion-exclusion criteria for review. Results: The challenges identified from studies in implementing the Antimicrobial Stewardship Program (AMSP) include the administration’s lack of knowledge, a deficit of resources, staff turnover, resistance to change, delay in Culture and Drug Sensitivity Testing (CDST), inadequate training, patient expectations, and insufficient Electronic Medical Records (EMR). Conclusion: Antimicrobial resistance is a growing public health concern that all stakeholders must address. Improvements in antimicrobial consumption reporting and locally tailored guidelines can help to ensure successful implementation.