Trends in primary care antibiotic prescribing in England 1994-1998.
OBJECTIVE
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.
Unsworth
L
L
Prescribing Research Group, Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, L69 3GF, UK.
Walley
T
T
D000367:Age Factors; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000191:economics / Q000600:supply & distribution*; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016527:Drug Costs; D011307:Drug Prescriptions / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004363:Drug Utilization; D004739:England / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents