Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40070317›Full record

SynthesisBritish journal of clinical pharmacology2025

Factors influencing physicians' antimicrobial prescribing decisions: A systematic review of qualitative studies.

Savannah Reali, Yee Chin Kwang, Jin-Gun Cho, Jan-Willem Alffenaar, Parisa Aslani

Abstract readSystematic Review
In one paragraph

Synthesis in British journal of clinical pharmacology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 26 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
26citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
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

26 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

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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

5 authors.

Savannah RealiSchool of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, Australia.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0002-5651-2526
Yee Chin KwangPharmacy Department, Wagga Wagga Base Hospital, Wagga Wagga, Australia.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0000-4714-6339
Jin-Gun ChoDepartment of Respiratory and Sleep Medicine, Westmead Hospital, Westmead, Australia.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7976-8236
Jan-Willem AlffenaarSchool of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, Australia.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6703-0288
Parisa AslaniSchool of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, Australia.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0735-4691

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Inappropriate and overuse of antimicrobials is increasing antimicrobial resistance. Understanding physicians' antimicrobial decision-making is essential for developing interventions to optimize prescribing. The aim of this review was to identify the factors that influence physicians' antimicrobial prescribing decisions. A systematic literature search was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. Embase, Medline and Scopus were searched from 2014 onwards using three key concepts: antimicrobial, prescribing and attitude. The search identified 11 038 articles for review. Studies were included if they used qualitative methods and obtained data directly from physicians. Factors influencing antimicrobial prescribing were extracted and categorized into physician-related, patient-related, medication- and condition-related, and external factors. A model of the antimicrobial prescribing process was created to illustrate how these factors influence decision-making. Fifty-three articles from 23 countries met the inclusion criteria. Forty factors influencing antimicrobial prescribing were identified, with the most common being time pressures, patient/carer demand for antimicrobials, diagnostic uncertainty, clinical experience, and the use of evidence-based guidelines and diagnostic tests. The harm to the patient and the physician of underprescribing were considered to outweigh the potential population harm of antimicrobial resistance due to overprescribing. Antimicrobial decision making is a complex process influenced by many different types of factors at each point in the prescribing journey. Awareness of these factors is vital for the success of interventions aiming to optimize antimicrobial prescribing. Future interventions should investigate how to balance individual and population harm whilst considering the individual factors that influence prescribing decisions.

Indexed as

Anti-Bacterial AgentsAnti-Infective AgentsClinical Decision-MakingInappropriate PrescribingPractice Patterns, Physicians'Attitude of Health PersonnelDecision MakingHumansPhysiciansPractice Guidelines as TopicQualitative ResearchAnti-Bacterial AgentsAnti-Infective Agentsantimicrobialantimicrobial resistanceclinical decision makingprescribing behaviourqualitativesystematic review

Identifiers

PMID40070317
PMCPMC12035593

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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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.