Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37624939›Full record

ArticleThe Journal of antimicrobial chemotherapy2023

Patterns of GP and nurse independent prescriber prescriptions for antibiotics dispensed in the community in England: a retrospective analysis.

Molly Courtenay, David Gillespie, Rosemary Lim

Open access · hybridAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in The Journal of antimicrobial chemotherapy, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
7citing papers in PubMed
4.4field-weighted citation impact, top 6% of its field
1 · What the graph read from 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.

2 · The registry

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.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

7 citing papers in PubMed, 10 citations in OpenAlex.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Molly CourtenaySchool of Healthcare Sciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK.
David GillespieCentre for Trials Research, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK.
Rosemary LimReading School of Pharmacy, University of Reading, Reading, UK.
Cardiff University · GBUniversity of Reading · GB

Funding

Cancer Research UK
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundPhysician-nurse task shifting, a process of delegation whereby tasks are moved to other specialized healthcare workers, is used in primary care in many countries to improve access, efficiency and quality of care. One such task is the prescription of medicines.

objectivesTo identify nurse independent prescriber (NIP) and GP numbers in England, the proportions and types of NIP and GP antibiotic prescriptions dispensed in the community, and the impact of COVID-19 on the volume, rate and types of antibiotic prescriptions dispensed.

methodsDescriptive population-based retrospective cohort study using routinely collected data on prescriptions for antibiotics dispensed in the community in England between January 2014 and October 2021.

resultsBetween 2014 and 2021, numbers (headcount) of NIPs whose prescriptions were dispensed in the community rose by 146% to 34 997. GP numbers (headcount) rose by 10% to 44 681. Of the 25.373 million antibiotic prescriptions dispensed between 2014 and 2021, NIPs were responsible for 8.6%. The rate of dispensed antibiotic prescriptions per prescriber per calendar year decreased (by 50% for NIPs and by 21% for GPs) between 2014 and 2020. This decreasing trend continued following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic across both groups. Narrow-spectrum antibiotics (penicillins, macrolides, tetracyclines) were the most frequently dispensed across both NIPs and GPs.

conclusionsNIPs are an increasing contributory influence on total antibiotic prescribing and should be included in antimicrobial stewardship efforts. Interventions for this group need to be tailored to the population and context in which they work.

Indexed as

Anti-Bacterial AgentsCOVID-19Drug PrescriptionsEnglandHumansPandemicsPractice Patterns, Physicians'PrescriptionsRetrospective StudiesAnti-Bacterial Agents

Identifiers

PMID37624939
PMCPMC10545513
OpenAlexW4386157939

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.