PHO Rounds: Antimicrobial Stewardship in Primary Care: Improving Antibiotic Prescribing

Antimicrobial resistance is a rising global public health crisis, with an estimated 1.27 million attributable deaths per year worldwide. Overuse and misuse of antibiotics are important modifiable drivers of rising drug-resistant infections. The majority of antibiotics are prescribed by primary care physicians. Peer comparison audit and feedback on antibiotic prescribing is a potentially scalable and effective intervention. Effective audit and feedback incorporates behavioural science principles to drive behaviour change and improve the quality of patient care. This PHO Rounds will review recent evidence on the effectiveness of antibiotic audit and feedback in primary care as well as current and future initiatives to incorporate audit and feedback into antimicrobial resistance action plans locally, nationally and internationally.