The Ultimate Infectious Disease Pharmacist Holiday Wish List

In case you were wondering what to get the infectious disease (ID) pharmacist in your life for the upcoming holidays, Contagion^® Editorial Advisory Board members, Emily Heil, PharmD, BCPS-AQ ID, Monica Mahoney, PharmD, BCPS-AQ ID, and Christopher McCoy, PharmD, BCPS-AQ ID have created:

The Ultimate Infectious Disease Pharmacist

Holiday Wish List

1. Vancomycin AUC:MIC Achieved on First Try

If all pharmacists could have a pocket phlebotomist to carry around with them to ensure vancomycin levels were always drawn appropriately and that our PK/PD targets were obtained on the first try, it would be a Christmas miracle.

2. An Orally-Available Carbapenem

Ok, we get that for stewardship this could be a double-edged sword that might lead to excessive carbapenem use, but wouldn't it be nice to not require an IV line for patients that need this broader spectrum therapy?! Providers must pass a pre-test prior to use, the first question which is “What is the name of your ID pharmacist?”

3. Non-Cross-Allergic, Non-Cross-Resistant, Brand-Spanking-New Generic Antibiotics with Novel Targets of Action

Take that, you smart and creative multidrug-resistant bacteria! We're coming at you with new toys and nobody’s getting rashy!

4. Insurance Coverage for Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) Therapy for Everyone, Regardless of Metavir Score

Just like the Undetectable=Untransmittable campaign for HIV, wouldn't it be fun to see treatment as prevention for HCV take off by allowing affordable access to these amazing new medications for all infected patients?

5. A Day Where Every Patient Started Empirically on Vancomycin and Piperacillin/Tazobactam is Promptly and Appropriately De-Escalated Without Stewardship Intervention

Bells would ring across the land and sugar plum fairies would dance their hearts out as Antimicrobial Stewardship Program-PharmDs had a little time for lunch without their pager.

6. New Rapid Diagnostic Tests That Laboratories Introduce Immediately

Let’s leave cost, training, and labor aside and pretend that we could all have lots of real-time data streaming from the microbiology and pathology labs within a few hours identifying bacteria, viruses or the lack thereof for fast targeted therapy and de-escalation.

7. Punching Bags for Kickboxing Classes with Infamous CEOs Who Gouge Patients & the Health Care System with Single Source Agents Priced Astronomically High… which will then be paid for by them while they sit in jail with a really uncomfortable bed. Because really, shouldn't we still have generically available, reasonably priced pyrimethamine, and 5-flucytosine? It's not like these are 30+ years old or anything.

8. Antibiotic Patch Therapy in the Shape of Vintage Tattoos

Helps with compliance and street cred—win-win!

9. A Futuristic Portable Body Scanner/Smart Phone That Instantly Identifies the Presence of Infection, with What Pathogen, Bacterial or Viral, and Recommended Therapy

…that only ID pharmacists had access to so people would think we're wizards!

10. FDA-Approved Susceptibility Testing Available at the Time of Drug Launch

Wouldn’t it be grand if we could know that the lifesaving new antibiotic was actually active against that superbug that it was developed to treat rather than guessing or sending out to a lab and wait for days? Beats the current system of consulting a Magic-8 ball. Wait, this may be coming soon: New FDA Tool Gives Doctors Timely & Easily Accessible Antimicrobial Susceptibility Information.

And, last, but not least…

11. A Stocking Full of Antibiotic Shortage Medications

We have been dealt some of the worst drug shortages in recent history courtesy of a flurry of major hurricanes taking plants out of commission. Although we have all learned a great deal about what antibiotics can be concentrated or given via IV push, we all just wish for a reliable supply of antibiotics and fluids back. Really, if we got this gift it could probably replace the rest of the list!