Making home oral antibiotic administration safer: evaluation of a complex outpatient antibiotic therapy (COPAT) service

Traditionally long-term antibiotic therapy for significant infections has been given intravenously (IV). Current evidence now supports the utilisation of highly bioavailable oral antibiotic (HBOA) therapy substituting for most of the IV course. This includes quinolones, sulphonamides, tetracyclines, macrolides, azoles, lincosamides, rifamycins and oxazolidinones classes of antibiotics.

HBOA therapy allows the patient to receive treatment in their own home, potentially return to work, removes the risk of long lines, and achieve therapeutic goals. However, treatment may be for several months and side effects may arise at any time; some potentially avoidable with early recognition.

We established a Complex outpatient antibiotic therapy (CoPAT) service that monitor’s patients on HBOA at home. This manages in a timely fashion any adverse outcomes to allow ongoing achievement of therapeutic goals, prevention of hospital admission and reduction of overall care costs. It also allows standardisation of the follow-up care provided.