Background Sepsis is a major contributor to neonatal mortality, particularly in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs). WHO advocates ampicillin-gentamicin as first-line therapy for the management of neonatal sepsis. In the BARNARDS observational cohort study of neonatal sepsis and antimicrobial resistance in LMICs, common sepsis pathogens were characterised via whole genome sequencing (WGS) and antimicrobial resistance profiles. In this substudy of BARNARDS, we aimed to assess the use and efficacy of empirical antibiotic therapies commonly used in LMICs for neonatal sepsis.Methods In BARNARDS, consenting mother-neonates aged 0-60 days dyads were enrolled on delivery or neonatal presentation with suspected sepsis at 12 BARNARDS clinical sites in

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Introduction Well trained, knowledgeable and competent pharmacists are indispensable in the fight against antimicrobial resistance (AMR), which is a current global public health problem. The aim of this work was to assess knowledge of antibiotics, antimicrobial resistance and antimicrobial stewardship of fifth year pharmacy students at three universities in Northern Nigeria. Methods A descriptive cross-sectional study that used a paper-based questionnaire to collect data from July to September 2021 was conducted. The questionnaire was self-administered and divided into four sections. The first section collected information about the demographic data of respondents, while section B explored their knowledge of antibiotics and AMR. Section C contained six questions assessing knowledge of various aspects of antimicrobial stewardship (AMS), while the final part assessed respondents’ preparedness to work with antibiotics and perceptions of their current knowledge of these concepts. Descriptive statistics were used to report the results obtained. Results A total of 164 questionnaires were retrieved. Majority of respondents were male (58.3%) and aged between 21 and 25 years (53.4%). Most of them had some knowledge of antibiotics and AMR, however several misconceptions with respect to these concepts were identified. Only 80 (48.8%) of respondents indicated that they knew what AMS was, although most of these students were correctly knowledgeable about the goals and scope of AMS and composition of the AMS team. Generally, less than half of respondents agreed that their current knowledge of antibiotics, AMR or AMS was adequate for their future careers, and over 90% of them agreed that they would like more education about these topics. Conclusion Many of the study’s’ respondents were somewhat knowledgeable about these concepts, although several knowledge gaps were also observed. Improving undergraduate pharmacy education with respect to these concepts is recommended.

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Pharmacotherapeutics as defined by the Merriam-Webster Medical Dictionary is 'the study of the therapeutic uses and effects of drugs in disease states'. [1] It is an essential component of the undergraduate pharmacy curriculum worldwide, and often encompasses drug therapy and several other aspects of patient care. With the move towards greater pharmacist involvement in patient care, the new-generation pharmacist needs to have an above-average clinical knowledge of various medications and disease states. [2] The Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) degree was recently approved as the minimum requirement for registration as a pharmacist in Nigeria. Therefore, evaluating student perceptions of teaching methods and course content within the previous Bachelor of Pharmacy (BPharm) curriculum would help us to develop an improved pharmacy education experience for future students. This article describes a project aimed at exploring the perceptions and views of undergraduate pharmacy students at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria, on the course content and structure, as well as methods of delivery of a pharmacotherapeutic course. Background. Pharmacotherapeutics is an essential component of undergraduate pharmacy curricula worldwide. Therefore, improving the content and teaching of pharmacotherapeutic courses will better equip young pharmacists for their future careers. Objectives. To assess the perception and views of fourth-and fifth-year pharmacy students at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria, on the content and structure, as well as methods of lecture delivery of a pharmacotherapeutics course. Methods. This was a sequential mixed-methods study. During the first phase, a pretested questionnaire containing both open-and closed-ended questions was distributed to all 201 students who enrolled for the course during the 2015/2016 academic session. After analyses of questionnaire responses, two focus group discussions (FGDs) were held with 16 randomly selected students (8 participants per group). Results. Over half of respondents (54%) had enrolled for the course more than once. Analyses of qualitative data from both questionnaires and FGDs yielded three themes: poor student awareness, relevance, and shortcomings in course structure and delivery. The most common complaints of students revolved around the bulkiness of the course and non-interactive teaching methods used by course lecturers. Their enjoyment of certain parts of the course was linked to a perceived relevance of some disease conditions over others. Conclusion. There is a need to improve the course structure and teaching of pharmacotherapeutics at the institution, as well as student participation in their own learning.