ReviewAntibiotics (Basel, Switzerland)2025
Oral Antibacterial Drug Prescribing in Primary Care Out-of-Hours Services: A Scoping Review.
Review in Antibiotics (Basel, Switzerland), 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.
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
2 citing papers in PubMed.
- A scoping review of quality prescribing indicators, rules and criteria for primary care.British journal of clinical pharmacology · 2026Article
- Oral Antibacterial Drug Prescribing in Primary Care Out-of-Hours Services: A Scoping Review.Antibiotics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Review
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.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
BACKGROUND/
objectivesThe rapid spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) presents a critical threat to global health. Primary care plays a significant role in this crisis, with oral antibacterial drugs among the most prescribed medications. Antibacterial prescribing rates are often high and complicated in out-of-hours (OOH) services, including weekdays outside regular hours, weekends, and holidays, potentially exacerbating AMR. This review aims to identify the existing literature on oral antibacterial drug prescribing within primary care OOH services.
methodsThis review followed established frameworks, adhered to PRISMA-ScR guidelines, and the protocol was registered on Open Science Framework. Seven databases were searched from 2017 to May 2022. Data were summarised, tabulated, and presented narratively to explore themes and patterns that aligned with the review objectives.
resultsThe search identified 28 studies from nine high-income countries, mainly the UK (n = 6) and Belgium (n = 5). Most were quantitative studies (n = 23). Key areas identified included common oral antibacterial prescriptions, prescribing trends, presentations and conditions managed in OOH services, factors and predictors associated with prescribing, prescribing appropriateness, the impact of interventions on prescribing, prescribing in the context of COVID-19, patient satisfaction and expectations, and the challenges encountered, such as factors influencing prescribing behaviour and decision making, safety netting, and communication.
conclusionsThis review highlights key areas around oral antibacterial prescribing in primary care OOH services. Despite the numerous articles identified covering various areas within OOH services, the variability in OOH services approaches across countries and studies complicates the comparison of practice. Further research is needed to better understand practices in these settings.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
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.