ArticleThe Journal of antimicrobial chemotherapy2016
A feasibility service evaluation of screening and treatment of group A streptococcal pharyngitis in community pharmacies.
Article in The Journal of antimicrobial chemotherapy, 2016. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 26 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
26 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 59 citations in OpenAlex.
- Rapid antigen detection and molecular tests for group A streptococcal infections for acute sore throat: systematic reviews and economic evaluation.Health technology assessment (Winchester, England) · 2020Pooled it
- Impact of point-of-care tests in community pharmacies: a systematic review and meta-analysis.BMJ open · 2020Pooled it
- Point-of-care testing in community pharmacies to improve antimicrobial stewardship in respiratory infections: a scoping review of effectiveness, implementation and cost-effectiveness.JAC-antimicrobial resistance · 2026Review
- Community pharmacists and outpatient antimicrobial stewardship: evidence, uncertainties, and future directions.Frontiers in health services · 2026Article
- The role of the community pharmacist in antibiotic use - a commentary on current status and future perspectives.Exploratory research in clinical and social pharmacy · 2025Article
- Antimicrobial stewardship interventions involving community pharmacy teams: a scoping review.JAC-antimicrobial resistance · 2025Review
- Implementation of Clinical Pharmacy Services in Primary Health Care: A Scoping Review.Journal of evaluation in clinical practice · 2025Article
- Point-of-care testing in private pharmacy and drug retail settings: a narrative review.BMC infectious diseases · 2023Review
- Characteristics of the sore throat test and treat service in community pharmacies (STREP) in Wales: cross-sectional analysis of 11 304 consultations using anonymized electronic pharmacy records.The Journal of antimicrobial chemotherapy · 2022Article
- Evaluation of Point-of-Care Testing in Pharmacy to Inform Policy Writing by the New Brunswick College of Pharmacists.Pharmacy (Basel, Switzerland) · 2022Article
- Article
- Are We Making the Most of Community Pharmacies? Implementation of Antimicrobial Stewardship Measures in Community Pharmacies: A Narrative Review.Antibiotics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2021Review
- Review
- Point-of-Care Testing for Pharyngitis in the Pharmacy.Antibiotics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2020Article
- Pharmacy-Based Infectious Disease Management Programs Incorporating CLIA-Waived Point-of-Care Tests.Journal of clinical microbiology · 2020Review
- Improving Management of Respiratory Tract Infections in Community Pharmacies and Promoting Antimicrobial Stewardship: A Cluster Randomised Control Trial with a Self-Report Behavioural Questionnaire and Process Evaluation.Pharmacy (Basel, Switzerland) · 2020Article
- Evaluation of a community pharmacy-led test-and-treat service for women with uncomplicated lower urinary tract infection in England.JAC-antimicrobial resistance · 2020Article
- Impact of a pilot NHS-funded sore throat test and treat service in community pharmacies on provision and quality of patient care.BMJ open quality · 2020Article
- Antimicrobial Stewardship Interventions to Combat Antibiotic Resistance: an Update on Targeted Strategies.Current infectious disease reports · 2019Review
- Evaluation of a new patient consultation initiative in community pharmacy for ear, nose and throat and eye conditions.BMC health services research · 2019Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectivesThe UK 5 year antimicrobial resistance strategy recognizes the role of point-of-care diagnostics to identify where antimicrobials are required, as well as to assess the appropriateness of the diagnosis and treatment. A sore throat test-and-treat service was introduced in 35 community pharmacies across two localities in England during 2014-15.
methodsTrained pharmacy staff assessed patients presenting with a sore throat using the Centor scoring system and patients meeting three or all four of the criteria were offered a throat swab test for Streptococcus pyogenes, Lancefield group A streptococci. Patients with a positive throat swab test were offered antibiotic treatment.
resultsFollowing screening by pharmacy staff, 149/367 (40.6%) patients were eligible for throat swab testing. Of these, only 36/149 (24.2%) were positive for group A streptococci. Antibiotics were supplied to 9.8% (n = 36/367) of all patients accessing the service. Just under half of patients that were not showing signs of a bacterial infection (60/123, 48.8%) would have gone to their general practitioner if the service had not been available.
conclusionsThis study has shown that it is feasible to deliver a community-pharmacy-based screening and treatment service using point-of-care testing. This type of service has the potential to support the antimicrobial resistance agenda by reducing unnecessary antibiotic use and inappropriate antibiotic consumption.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.