Trends in primary care antibiotic prescribing in England 1994–1998

Abstract

Purpose To investigate the changing decisions to prescribe antibiotics as manifest in the patterns of prescriptions dispensed in England, and to investigate antibiotic prescribing in different types of practice. Methods Antibiotic prescribing data and practice characteristics collected for every practice in England for the years 1994/5–1997/8. Morbidity data for common infections was also obtained from published sources. Results Antibiotic prescribing was related to practice characteristics, with high prescribing in deprived and single‐handed practices in particular. There was a fall in antibiotic prescribing in all types of practice of practice over the period of the study. Morbidity data from other sources shows a fall in diagnosed morbidity from some infectious diseases over the same period. There were no differences in choice of antibiotic in different types of practice. Conclusions The fall in antibiotic prescribing is universal across all kinds of practices and is possibly related to the fall in diagnoses. It is uncertain whether this reflects true morbidity. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.