Can antibiotic prescriptions in respiratory tract infections be improved? A cluster-randomized educational intervention in general practice – The Prescription Peer Academic Detailing (Rx-PAD) Study [NCT00272155]

Abstract

Background: More than half of all antibiotic prescriptions in general practice are issued for respiratory tract infections (RTIs), despite convincing evidence that many of these infections are caused by viruses. Frequent misuse of antimicrobial agents is of great global health concern, as we face an emerging worldwide threat of bacterial antibiotic resistance. There is an increasing need to identify determinants and patterns of antibiotic prescribing, in order to identify where clinical practice can be improved.

A study of utilization pattern, efficacy and safety of drugs prescribed for opportunistic infections in Human Immunodeficiency Virus infected patients

“…Most LRTIs in the present study were less severe and were managed on outpatient basis. Irrational prescribing has been observed for respiratory tract infections, [13] however, it was less common in our study.…”

Determinants of Quinolone versus Trimethoprim-Sulfamethoxazole Use for Outpatient Urinary Tract Infection

“…The preference of quinolones despite a guideline recommending TMP-SMX implies the need of interventions in order to improve quality of care. Several studies indicate that antibiotic prescribing behavior can be influenced by the implementation of such interventions (1,8,18,19,27,31,37).…”

Effects on antibiotic dispensing rates of interventions to promote delayed prescribing for respiratory tract infections in primary care

“…The tailored intervention has been described in detail elsewhere. 19 The elements of the intervention were two educational outreach visits at the participants' CME groups and a 1-day regional seminar. The outreach visits in the RTIs arm comprised:…”