Antibiotics currently included in the study:

Cefiderocol; Ceftazidime/avibactam; Ceftolozane/tazobactam; Eravacycline; Imipenem/cilastatin/relebactam; Meropenem/vaborbactam; Ceftaroline; Ceftobiprole; Dalbavancin; Delafloxacin; Oritavancin.

The UKAR study aims to provide answers to some very important questions:

• How widely are these antimicrobials being used across the UK?
• Which patient groups are being prescribed them?
• Which infection types are being treated and why are these drugs being selected for use?

Are any of these antibiotics being used in your hospital?

If yes, then this offers an exciting opportunity for your hospital to get involved in the UKAR study and for you to gain valuable experience in contributing to an important research project.

Pharmacists often find there are limited opportunities for gaining experience in research and within the Royal Pharmaceutical Society advanced practice career frameworks we know that the Research domain is where many pharmacists struggle to gain the necessary competencies for credentialing.

UKAR is a National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) registered study and presents opportunities for senior healthcare professionals working in infection-related areas of practice in participating hospitals to take the role of Principle Investigator (PI). This role would be particularly suitable for a Lead Antimicrobial Pharmacist or ICU Pharmacist. In our pilot sites for UKAR we already have several Antimicrobial Pharmacists as PIs.

UKAR is also registered for the NIHR Associate PI Scheme which is designed to support a range of less senior NHS healthcare professionals to gain experience of research with the oversight of the local PI to learn about the challenges and practicalities of delivering a portfolio study. Participation is recognised through certification for their training portfolio and Associate PIs will be acknowledged in the primary publication(s) from the study.

If you would like to learn more about the UKAR Study, please don’t hesitate to contact the UKAR Study Coordination Team on ukar@abdn.ac.uk, visit the UKAR study website or access the UKAR Expression of Interest Form. It would be great to talk to you about getting your hospital on board and how you can get involved as a PI or Associate PI.