UK and Zambian Pharmacists Working Together:Improving Antimicrobial Stewardship and Pharmaceutical Education

Background: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) - global health threat driven by the misuse of antibiotics, requires pharmacy-ledAntimicrobial Stewardship (AMS) strategies.Purpose: Establish health partnership led by pharmacists aimed at improving AMS practice and education in Zambia.Methods: In 2016, UK (Brighton) and Zambian (Lusaka) pharmacists established partnership through the Brighton-Lusaka Health Link (BLHL)1. Through reciprocal scoping visits, areas for collaboration identified: (i) strengthen AMS in Zambia (ii) secure grants to facilitate targeted AMS strategies (iii) support pharmaceutical education (iv) generate scholarly publications.Results: 1. Commonwealth Partnership for Antimicrobial Stewardship (CwPAMS) grant award supported by Fleming Fundand THET2 2. Integration of AMS in Zambia’s undergraduate pharmacy curriculum3. Joint supervision of BSMS MSc students and co-authored 4 publications accepted1. Award of the Commonwealth Partnership for Antimicrobial Stewardship (CwPAMS) grant supported by Fleming Fundand THET. This work is underway conducted by BLHL at University Teaching Hospitals, Lusaka.2. Integration of AMS in Zambia’s undergraduate pharmacy curriculum. Successfully developed, piloted, and integrated anAMS module for undergraduate pharmacy students at University of Zambia.3. Joint supervision of MSc students and publications. Successful co-supervision of BSMS MSc students’ research projectsconducted in Zambia, co-authored 4 publications accepted in peer-reviewed journals.Conclusion: BLHL initiative demonstrated benefits of establishing sustainable pharmacist-led partnerships, and established a strongfoundation for future programmatic work to improve AMS practice and education in Zambia.References: 1. Brighton-Lusaka Health Link. https://blhlink.org.uk2. THET. Commonwealth Partnerships for Antimicrobial Stewarship Scheme. https://www.thet.org/our-work/grants/cwpams