title: Delayed prescribing of antibiotics for respiratory tract infections: use of information leaflets.
abstract: The appropriate prescribing of antibiotics is a challenge in primary care12. We performed an interventional trial to determine if providing an information leaflet on antibiotics with a delayed antibiotic prescription influenced the patient's decision to use the antibiotic for a respiratory tract infection (RTI). The control group (n = 69) where given a delayed prescription and the intervention group (n = 46) were given an information leaflet on antibiotics with the delayed prescription. In the control group, 72% (n = 50) of patients indicated they subsequently used the antibiotic, and in the intervention group, 43%(n = 20) indicated they used the antibiotic, this difference was statistically significant (p = 0.0018.) The key conclusion of this study is that delayed prescriptions should be issued with an appropriate information sheet.
authors.affiliation: Shandon House, Summerhill Medical Centre, Summerhill, Co Meath.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Agnew
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Taaffe
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Darker
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: O'Shea
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Clarke
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D011307:Drug Prescriptions; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians'; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000188:drug therapy*; D061665:Time-to-Treatment
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents