Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42029838›Full record

SynthesisInternational journal of clinical pharmacy2026

Pharmacist involvement in antifungal stewardship programs: a systematic review of clinical, utilization, and economic outcomes.

Emre Kara, Nese Sahin, Fatma Gul Yumrucu, Gokhan Metan

Abstract readSystematic Review
In one paragraph

Synthesis in International journal of clinical pharmacy, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Emre KaraDepartment of Clinical Pharmacy, Hacettepe University Faculty of Pharmacy, Altindag, Ankara, Turkey. emrekara@hacettepe.edu.tr.
Nese SahinHacettepe University Faculty of Pharmacy, Ankara, Turkey.
Fatma Gul YumrucuDepartment of Clinical Pharmacy, Hacettepe University Faculty of Pharmacy, Altindag, Ankara, Turkey.
Gokhan MetanDepartment of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology, Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionAntifungal stewardship programs are increasingly implemented to optimize antifungal use. Pharmacists are frequently involved in these programs; however, their specific contributions and impact have not been systematically characterized.

aimThe aim of this systematic review was to synthesize the available evidence regarding the role and impact of pharmacists in antifungal stewardship programs, specifically focusing on clinical, utilization, and economic outcomes, using a narrative synthesis approach.

methodA systematic review was conducted. PubMed/MEDLINE and Scopus databases were searched for studies published from database inception to January 2026. Two reviewers independently screened titles, abstracts, and full texts according to predefined eligibility criteria. Data extraction was performed independently using a standardized form. Due to heterogeneity in study designs and outcomes, a narrative synthesis approach was applied. The review was reported in accordance with the PRISMA reporting guidelines. Risk of bias was assessed using the ROBINS-I tool for non-randomized studies.

resultsFifteen studies met the inclusion criteria, the majority of which were quasi-experimental pre-post intervention studies conducted in tertiary care hospitals. Key pharmacist-driven interventions included antifungal dose optimization, de-escalation or discontinuation of therapy, facilitation of early appropriate antifungal treatment, therapeutic drug monitoring, and education or protocol development. Across studies, pharmacist involvement was associated with improvements in antifungal prescribing quality and stewardship process outcomes, including potential improvements in duration of antifungal therapy, antifungal consumption (measured by defined-daily-doses or days-of-therapy), time to appropriate therapy, and antifungal-related costs. Effects on clinical outcomes such as mortality and length of hospital stay were variable and generally not statistically significant. The overall certainty of the evidence is low to very low by the observational nature and the moderate-to-serious risk of bias of the included studies.

conclusionPharmacist participation in multidisciplinary antifungal stewardship teams may be associated with improved antifungal utilization and adherence to guidelines in hospitalized adults. The findings support that pharmacists are important members of multidisciplinary teams in antifungal stewardship.

Indexed as

Antifungal AgentsAntimicrobial StewardshipPharmacistsProfessional RoleHumansAntifungal AgentsAntifungal agentsAntifungal stewardshipAntimicrobial stewardshipInpatientsMycosesPharmacists

Identifiers

PMID42029838
PMCPMC13369351

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.