ArticleBMJ open2020
Risks of use and non-use of antibiotics in primary care: qualitative study of prescribers' views.
Article in BMJ open, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 12 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Who cites it
12 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Understanding how veterinarians' knowledge, attitudes, and practices influence antibiotic prescription: a systematic review of survey studies.BMC veterinary research · 2025Pooled it
- Physicians', pharmacists', and nurses' education of patients about antibiotic use and antimicrobial resistance in primary care settings: a qualitative systematic literature review.Frontiers in antibiotics · 2024Pooled it
- Antimicrobial use and stewardship activities in Swiss long-term care facilities: data from a national point-prevalence survey.Antimicrobial resistance and infection control · 2026Article
- Parents' perspectives on childhood antibiotic treatment in Ireland-a qualitative study.JAC-antimicrobial resistance · 2025Article
- How, why and when are delayed (back-up) antibiotic prescriptions used in primary care? A realist review integrating concepts of uncertainty in healthcare.BMC public health · 2024Review
- Why Do Physicians Prescribe Antibiotics? A Systematic Review of the Psycho-Socio-Organisational Factors Related to Potentially Inappropriate Prescribing of Antimicrobials in Europe.Infectious disease reports · 2024Review
- Lemierre syndrome: a hidden complication of sore throats.International journal of emergency medicine · 2023Article
- Antibiotic Treatment for Lower Respiratory Tract Infections in Primary Care: A Register-Based Study Examining the Role of Radiographic Imaging.Antibiotics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023Article
- Post-consultation acute respiratory tract infection recovery: a latent class-informed analysis of individual patient data.The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners · 2023Article
- Safety netting advice for respiratory tract infections in out-of-hours primary care: A qualitative analysis of consultation videos.The European journal of general practice · 2022Article
- Management of Common Infections in German Primary Care: A Cross-Sectional Survey of Knowledge and Confidence among General Practitioners and Outpatient Pediatricians.Antibiotics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2021Article
- Impact of Selected Behavioral and Environmental Factors on the Antibiotic Therapy in Polish Children With Upper Respiratory Tract Infections.Frontiers in pediatrics · 2021Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
purposeThe emergence of antimicrobial resistance has led to increasing efforts to reduce unnecessary use of antibiotics in primary care, but potential hazards from bacterial infection continue to cause concern. This study investigated how primary care prescribers perceive risk and safety concerns associated with reduced antibiotic prescribing.
methodsQualitative study using semistructured interviews conducted with primary care prescribers from 10 general practices in an urban area and a shire town in England. A thematic analysis was conducted.
resultsThirty participants were recruited, including twenty-three general practitioners, five nurses and two pharmacists. Three main themes were identified: risk assessment, balancing treatment risks and negotiating decisions and risks. Respondents indicated that their decisions were grounded in clinical risk assessment, but this was informed by different approaches to antibiotic use, with most leaning towards reduced prescribing. Prescribers' perceptions of risk included the consequences of both inappropriate prescribing and inappropriate withholding of antibiotics. Sepsis was viewed as the most concerning potential outcome of non-prescribing, leading to possible patient harm and potential litigation. Risks of antibiotic prescribing included antibiotic resistant and
conclusionsAttitudes towards antibiotic prescribing are evolving, with reduced antibiotic prescribing now being approached more systematically. The safety trade-offs associated with either use or non-use of antibiotics present difficulties especially when prescribing decisions are inconsistent with patients' expectations.
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