Antibiotic prescribing practices in a teaching clinic: comparison of resident and staff physicians.
BACKGROUND
The widespread and often inappropriate use of broad spectrum antibiotics in the outpatient setting is recognized as a significant contributing factor to the spread of bacterial resistance. We hypothesized that residents prescribe broader spectrum antibiotics more frequently than staff physicians and adopt more appropriate prescribing practices with increasing levels of training.


METHODS
All patient visits for acute sinusitis in our teaching practice between July 1, 1995, and June 30, 1997, were reviewed. Comparisons of antibiotics prescribed were made between staff and residents at each level of training.


RESULTS
First- and second-year residents were more likely to prescribe narrow spectrum antibiotics (56%) than third-year residents (35%) or staff (34%).


CONCLUSIONS
Junior residents in our program are more likely to prescribe narrow spectrum antibiotics for the treatment of acute sinusitis than are senior residents or staff. With advancement in level of training, prescribing practices of residents come to resemble those of their supervising staff physicians.
Mincey
B A
BA
Division of General Internal Medicine, Mayo Clinic Jacksonville, Fla 32224, USA.
Parkulo
M A
MA
D000208:Acute Disease; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002983:Clinical Competence; D004352:Drug Resistance, Microbial; D004363:Drug Utilization; D017723:Drug Utilization Review; D005260:Female; D005431:Florida; D019983:Guideline Adherence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006302:Health Services Research; D006784:Hospitals, Teaching; D006801:Humans; D007388:Internal Medicine / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D007396:Internship and Residency / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008297:Male; D008505:Medical Staff, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010044:Outpatient Clinics, Hospital; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012852:Sinusitis / Q000188:drug therapy*
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents