BACKGROUND Appropriate antibiotic prescribing is an essential strategy to reduce the spread of antibiotic resistance. US prescribing practices have not been thoroughly characterized. We analyzed outpatient antibiotic prescribing data to identify where appropriate antibiotic prescribing interventions could have the most impact. METHODS Oral antibiotic prescriptions dispensed during 2011 were e...

Background. Appropriate antibiotic prescribing is an essential strategy to reduce the spread of antibiotic resistance. US prescribing practices have not been thoroughly characterized. We analyzed outpatient antibiotic prescribing data to identify where appropriate antibiotic prescribing interventions could have the most impact. Methods. Oral antibiotic prescriptions dispensed during 2011 were e...

BACKGROUND There is considerable variation in prescribing, and existing standards against which primary care prescribing is routinely judged consist largely of local or national averages. There is thus a need for more sophisticated standards, which must be widely applicable and have credibility among the general practice profession. AIM A study aimed to develop a range of criteria of prescrib...

OBJECTIVE To identify general practitioner (GP) views and understanding on the use of delayed prescribing in primary care. DESIGN Qualitative semistructured telephone interview study. SETTING Primary care general practices in England. PARTICIPANTS 32 GPs from identified high-prescribing and low-prescribing general practices in England. METHOD Semistructured telephone interviews were con...

With the efficacy and costs of medications rising rapidly, it is increasingly important to ensure that drugs be prescribed as rationally as possible. Yet, physicians' choices of drugs frequently fall short of the ideal of precise and cost-effective decision making. Evidence indicates that such decisions can be improved in a variety of ways. A number of theories and principles of communication a...

INTRODUCTION The increase in resistance of many pathogens to currently available antibiotics has been recognized as life-threatening problem. The development of drug resistance is promoted by irrational prescribing behavior. Inappropriate use of antibiotics is attributed by over-prescription, inadequate dosage and use for non-bacterial infections. The purpose of this study was to assess antibio...

BACKGROUND Prescription narcotic overdoses and abuse have reached alarming numbers. To address this epidemic, integrated clinical decision support within the electronic medical record (EMR) to impact prescribing behavior was developed and tested. METHODS A multidisciplinary Expert Panel identified risk factors for misuse, abuse, or diversion of opioids or benzodiazepines through literature re...

BACKGROUND Poor medication prescribing skills among residents have been widely reported. METHODS We implemented a three-stage prescribing curriculum with eight interns in an urban family medicine residency. Clinical pharmacy faculty delivered two lectures, attended hospital rounds, and coprecepted in clinic. Evaluations were done by a written exam and clinical assessment. RESULTS All eight ...

With access to reproductive health care eroding, examination of prescribing of contraception, including emergency contraception (EC), is important. We examined whether working in a family practice affiliated with a religious institution changes the likelihood of a provider prescribing EC. Our survey asked about EC prescribing practices in a range of situations. As predicted, practitioners in no...