Pharmacy Infection Control: Quality Perspective

Objectives: This study aimed to declare the total quality management of infection control policy in pharmacy practice as a new initiative in Saudi Arabia. Methods: This is a narrative review of pharmacy infection control. The literature search was performed using various databases, including PubMed, Medline, and Google Scholar, about specific pharmacy practice infection control policies and procedures. The search period was from the 1960s until October 2021. The terms were in English and included narrative review, systemic review, meta-analysis, and guidelines across all hospitals and community pharmacy services. The national and international guidelines in hospital practice guide pharmacy infection control activities. The committee of pharmacy research formulated and consisted of various experts, including clinical pharmacists, drug information pharmacists, and infection control specialists. Some authors drafted the policy guidelines, and the others author reviewed and corrected them. An infection control specialist revised the final document. The study emphasizes the quality management of pharmacy infection control policies and procedures. Results: The quality management of the pharmacy infection control policy consisted of various items, including quality management steps in pharmacy infection control. The quality management of pharmacy infection control policy contained five models, namely, patient care, research skills, communication, professionalism, and continuous professional development. Each model has various activities, key performance indicators, and optimal targets per indicator. Conclusion: The quality management of pharmacy infection control policy is a new initiative aimed at improving the quality of care provided. The quality management of infection control policy is aimed to improve the efficiency of infection control in pharmaceutical care services at various locations in the public and healthcare organizations. Therefore, the quality management of infection control policy is highly recommended for pharmacy career professionals worldwide.