Abstract
Australia has relatively high rates of antibiotic prescribing in the community. The aim of this study was to identify clinical insights regarding antibiotic prescribing choices for the management of common upper respiratory tract infections through analysis of anonymised primary care electronic medical records (EMRs). EMR data relating to 1926 antimicrobial prescriptions for tonsillitis, pharyngitis and acute rhinosinusitis in adults and acute otitis media (AOM) in children were extracted from 11 general practices in Victoria and analysed for consistency with Australian Therapeutic Guidelines recommendations. The analysis suggests that underdosing of amoxicillin for AOM in children, prescription of phenoxymethylpenicillin at doses not consistent with Therapeutic Guidelines recommendations for tonsillitis and pharyngitis in adults,and potential overprescription of antibiotics for patients with acute rhinosinusitis are not infrequent ingeneral practice. Anonymised EMR data provide an opportunity to analyse antibiotic prescribing practices at scale and provide insights relevant to clinical practice.
Highlights
Background and objectiveAustralia has relatively high rates of antibiotic prescribing in the community
The analysis suggests that underdosing of amoxicillin for acute otitis media (AOM) in children, prescription of phenoxymethylpenicillin at doses not consistent with Therapeutic Guidelines recommendations for tonsillitis and pharyngitis in adults, and potential overprescription of antibiotics for patients with acute rhinosinusitis are not infrequent in general practice
Improving the appropriateness of antimicrobial prescribing by general practitioners (GPs) for upper respiratory tract infections (URTIs) has been targeted as a key ‘area for action’ in the latest report on antimicrobial use and resistance in human health by the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care.[5]
Summary
The aim of this study was to identify clinical insights regarding antibiotic prescribing choices for the management of common upper respiratory tract infections through analysis of anonymised primary care electronic medical records (EMRs). The aim of this study was to identify clinical insights regarding antibiotic prescribing choices for the management of AOM in children, tonsillitis and pharyngitis in adults and acute rhinosinusitis in adults through analysis of anonymised primary care EMR data
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