Megha Sharma

I am an Associate Professor at the Department of Pharmacology, R. D. Gardi Medical College, Ujjain, India, and an Affiliated Researcher at the Department of 

1) “Antibiotic stewardship program including infection 

2) Building equity in digital global health: the case of antimicrobial resistance in low- and lower-middle-income countries (EquityAMR) *for *R. D. Gardi Medical College, Ujjain (Norway, India, SriLanka and Sweden)

3) "Antibiotic resistance: Preventive measures and minimizing consequences in Community, Patients, and the Environment through risk assessment and targeted interventions in the context of India" between Sweden and India since 2022.

I have worked as 

My main area of research is improving the judicious prescribing of antibiotics at healthcare facilities, rationalizing the use of antibiotics at
the community level, and minimizing antimicrobial resistance. I have collected baseline data of antibiotic prescribing for over 200, 000 in-patients from two tertiary care, private-sector hospitals from the private sector in Central India. I have established a strong system of manual data collection in the study hospitals, with the help of nursing staff.
Improving hygiene in healthcare facilities and the community is another research area of interest, in order to combat antimicrobial resistance. I 

My work has been acknowledged and awarded at many International and National conferences.

The title of PhD thesis: Isolation &

Increasing bacterial resistance and an increase in incidences of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) are topics of global concern. Lack of
knowledge, financial constraints and humid and moist climate of low-middle-income countries put them at higher risk of antibacterial (antibiotic)
use, the spread of infectious diseases including healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) and thereby the development of bacterial resistance. A
significant number of mortalities and morbidity, cost of treatment and duration of hospital stay could be minimized by reducing the use of
antibiotics, preventing the spread of HAIs and bacterial resistance.
A long term study was designed and is being conducted at two tertiary care study hospitals in Central India since 2008. The main aim of the study was to provide a baseline of antibiotic prescribing patterns and trends in the settings. Based on the results of the pre-intervention phase (Baseline data) context-relevant diagnosis-specific prescribing guidelines were developed and implemented at high-risk departments. The impact of the interventions will be evaluated in terms of a) reduction in antibiotic prescribing and rationality in prescribing antibiotics in relation to the diagnosis.
Another aspect of the spread of infections is to reduce the spread of hospital-associated infections (HAIs) and b) to decrease antimicrobial
resistance These hospitals are private, tertiary care hospitals

The study design includes three phases: pre-intervention (baseline), intervention and post-intervention. As part of the pre-intervention phase, a
continuous data collection of antibiotic prescribing in both hospitals has been conducted since April 2008. Monitoring of HAI incidence started in
high-risk wards from August 2010. Up to date over 90, 000 patients have been enrolled in prescribing study and 843 suspected HAIs samples. High antibiotic prescribing was observed in both hospitals with high rates of HAIs. A recently published qualitative study from our group has shown that several infrastructural constraints hinder hand hygiene (HH) practices in the setting. These results suggest the need for relevant guidelines for rational antibiotic prescribing and to improve the HH practice in the settings.

The intervention package consists of feedback meetings, development and implementation of antibiotic prescribing guidelines, the introduction of
alcohol-based hand rub (ABHR) and training and educational meetings with the staff. The intervention phase for HH started with the introduction of
in-house prepared cost-effective ABHR in high-risk wards (WHO formulation), along with educational meetings in August 2011. Awareness campaigns for HH are also been conducted for the staff. Further, repeated feedback meetings will be done to present antibiotic
prescribing patterns and HAI incidence data and will be discussed with the prescribers. This will be in order to develop the context relevant
prescribing guidelines with the consensus of the prescribers. Pocket-sized printed guidelines will be distributed to the prescribers and posted in the wards. The mobile technology will be used to send reminders both for improving HH practice and for compliance with the guidelines.
In the post-intervention phase, the data of antibiotic prescribing will be recorded continuously to analyse compliance with the local guidelines. HAI
incidence rates will be monitored continuously. The compliance to HH practice will be observed, documented and analysed at several points. Economic feasibility will be checked to introduce the ABHR to the rest of the wards in the settings.

I am teaching undergraduate medical students at R. D. Gardi Medical College, Ujjain, India on a regular basis and regularly contribute to various courses 

I have supervised 40 students in total till 

Nine medical students have received various grants to visit and study at the Indian site. I have co-supervised one Doctoral student who
defended her thesis titled: ‘Antibiotic prescribing at hospitals in Central India with limited access to diagnostic methods - what can be improved in
order to reduce unnecessary antibiotic use and development of antibiotic resistance in 2020.