Primary care workshops can reduce and rationalize antibiotic prescribing

Area of Science:

• Infectious Diseases
• Public Health
• Pharmacology

Background:

• Antibiotic resistance is a growing global health concern.
• Optimizing antibiotic prescribing in primary care is crucial for antimicrobial stewardship.
• Interventions are needed to guide appropriate antibiotic selection in general practice.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the impact of antibiotic workshops versus microbiology tutorials on primary care prescribing patterns.
• To evaluate changes in the quantity and cost of antibiotics dispensed.
• To assess the effect on the use of broad-spectrum versus narrow-spectrum antibiotics.

Main Methods:

• A controlled study was conducted in two regions of Gloucestershire, UK.
• West Gloucestershire received antibiotic workshops; East Gloucestershire received microbiology tutorials.
• Year-on-year changes in antibiotic prescription data (items and costs) were analyzed.

Main Results:

• No significant difference in the total number of antibiotic items prescribed between the two regions.
• A 15.4% decline in broad-spectrum antibiotic prescriptions (quinolones, cephalosporins, co-amoxiclav) in the workshop group versus a 6.5% increase in the tutorial group (P=0.002).
• Narrow-spectrum antibiotic use remained stable in the workshop group but decreased by 12% in the tutorial group (P=0.003).

Conclusions:

• Primary care-based antibiotic workshops can effectively rationalize antibiotic prescribing.
• This intervention can reduce the use of broad-spectrum agents, potentially lowering costs and antimicrobial selection pressure.
• Workshops may contribute to mitigating the development of antibiotic resistance.