Exploring the gaps between education and pharmacy practice on antimicrobial stewardship: a qualitative study among pharmacists in Qatar

Figures & data

Table 1 ID courses and allocated time

Course	Allocated time (hrs)
Pathophysiology	16.5
Pharmacology	22.5
Pharmacotherapy	35.5*
Integrated-case based learning	18
Professional skills Therapeutic drug monitoring of antibiotics Inter-professional education (IPE) activity on AMS Drug allergies and antibiotic counseling	3 3** 3

Notes: *Less than 6 slides on AMS topic, equivalent to 10 mins.

**Brief introduction to AMS before case discussions, equivalent to 20 mins.

Table 2 Focus group topic guide questions

What are the most common types of infectious diseases that you encounter as clinical pharmacists? As a clinical pharmacist, what sort of interventions do you come up to help slow the spread of antimicrobial resistance and improve individual patient care? How do you feel about the impact of your interventions on promoting the rational use and prescribing of antibiotics as a member of the multidisciplinary team? What are some barriers; if any, to implementing interventions to achieve improved clinical outcomes? In general, what are the facilitators; if any, with regard to antimicrobial stewardship strategies in health care institutions? How do you practice continuing pharmacy education and development in the area of infectious diseases? In particular, how do you develop your critical thinking and problem-solving skills to further enhance decision making during pharmacotherapy? How did your studies at the college of pharmacy at Qatar University (QU) prepare you for this role? Which courses/clinical rotations in particular? If it did not, why not? After starting your work as a clinical pharmacist postgraduation, how confident did you find yourself in making antimicrobial stewardship interventions? What recommendations do you propose for improving QU’s curriculum coverage for antimicrobial stewardship? What approaches do you reinforce (didactic lectures vs integrated case-based learning/problem-based learning sessions vs early/continuous clinical internships, or others)? How do you think this will help the students?