939. Barriers and facilitators in the implementation of ASP in Mexico and the impact of COVID-19


 
 
 Hospital antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASP) involve a continuous effort by health institutions to monitor and optimize the use of antimicrobials. In this study, we aimed to explore barriers and opportunities in the implementation of ASP perceived by personnel of Mexican hospitals, as well as their views on the impact of COVID-19 in ASP activities.
 
 
 
 An online survey was applied to a purposive sample of 40 hospitals that perform regular antimicrobial stewardship activities in Mexico, during the last trimester of 2021.
 
 
 
 A total of 40 hospitals (62.5% public and 37.5% private) in 13 states in Mexico responded to the survey. Regarding the perception of barriers, they identified the overload of activities (73%), hospital reconversion due to COVID-19 (65%), the scarcity of human resources, and resistance of personnel to new procedures (63% each). The main perceived facilitators were the support by hospital authorities (60%) and the commitment by the ASP team and health professionals in the implementation of ASP (48%). Only 15% of hospitals reported that support by health authorities or other hospitals were factors favoring implementation. The main reported changes due to COVID-19 were: temporary suspension of ASP activities (60%); greater workload due to increased prescription of antimicrobials (33%); involvement in interventions (such as education and guidelines) directed to improve antimicrobial use in COVID-19 patients (18%), as well as implementation of new protocols in pharmacy (44%) and microbiology laboratory (51%). 18% reported no changes in ASP.
 
 
 
 Implementation of ASP in Mexican Hospitals could be strengthened by the inclusion of sufficient human resources with protected time for ASP activities, the active involvement of hospital authorities, as well as encouraging the training and leadership of ASP teams. The impact of COVID-19 was two-way: the stagnation of the program in some hospitals, as well as the active participation in the response to the emergency, in other hospitals.
 
 
 
 Anahí Dreser, PhD, MSD: Grant/Research Support.
