title: Why do general practitioners prescribe antibiotics for sore throat? Grounded theory interview study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To understand why general practitioners prescribe antibiotics for some cases of sore throat and to explore the factors that influence their prescribing.
  
  
  METHODS
  Grounded theory interview study.
  
  
  METHODS
  General practice.
  
  
  METHODS
  40 general practitioners: 25 in the maximum variety sample and 15 in the theoretical sample.
  
  
  RESULTS
  General practitioners are uncertain which patients will benefit from antibiotics but prescribe for sicker patients and for patients from socioeconomically deprived backgrounds because of concerns about complications. They are also more likely to prescribe in pressured clinical contexts. Doctors are mostly comfortable with their prescribing decisions and are not prescribing to maintain the doctor-patient relationship.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  General practitioners have reduced prescribing for sore throat in response to research and policy initiatives. Further interventions to reduce prescribing would need to improve identification of patients at risk of complications and be workable in busy clinical situations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Primary Medical Care, University of Southampton, Southampton SO17 3RT. skk@soton.ac.uk
authors.forename: Satinder
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Little
authors.forename: Nicky
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Britten
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003657:Decision Making; D005194:Family Practice / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010612:Pharyngitis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D010821:Physicians, Family / Q000523:psychology; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians'
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents