After-hours consultations and antibiotic prescribing for self-limiting upper respiratory tract infections in...

To determine the association between after-hours consultations and the likelihood of antibiotic prescribing for self-limiting upper respiratory tract infections (URTIs) in primary care practices.

A cross-sectional analysis using Australian national primary-care practice data (MedicineInsight) between February 1, 2016 and January 31, 2019.

Nationwide primary-care practices across Australia.

Adult and pediatric patients who visited primary care practices for first-time URTIs.

We estimated the proportion of first-time URTI episodes for which antibiotic prescribing occurred on the same day (immediate prescribing) using diagnoses and prescription records in the electronic primary-care database. Adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the likelihood of antibiotic prescribing by the time of primary care visits were calculated using generalized estimating equations.

Among 357,287 URTI episodes, antibiotics were prescribed in 172,605 episodes (48.3%). After adjusting for patients' demographics, practice characteristics, and seasons, we detected a higher likelihood of antibiotic prescribing on weekends compared to weekdays (OR, 1.42; 95% CI, 1.39-1.45) and on national public holidays compared to nonholidays (OR, 1.23; 95% CI, 1.17-1.29). When we controlled for patient presentation and diagnosis, the association between antibiotic prescribing and after-hours consultations remained significant: weekend versus weekdays (OR, 1.37; 95% CI, 1.33-1.41) and holidays versus nonholidays (OR, 1.10; 95% CI, 1.03-1.18).

Primary-care consultations on weekends and public holidays were associated with a higher likelihood of immediate antibiotic prescribing for self-limiting URTIs in primary care. This finding might be attributed to lower resourcing in after-hours health care.