Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the utilisation and quality of antibiotic use in the Scottish primary care setting: a population-based segmented interrupted time-series analysis.

BACKGROUND: Inappropriate use of antibiotics is expected to increase during the COVID-19 pandemic, but there are limited data on COVID-19's long-term impact. We assessed the impact of COVID-19 on the quantity and quality of antibiotic use in Scotland. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: A segmented interrupted time series was applied to monthly dispensed antibiotics using prescription cost analysis data from March/2019 to March/2023. Antibiotic use was quantified using the number of items dispensed/1000 inhabitants (TIDs) and defined daily dose/1000 inhabitants/day (DIDs). The quality of antibiotic use was assessed using key quality indicators including the WHO AWaRe classification, proportion of broad-spectrum and "4C"-antibiotics. RESULTS: Overall, for all antibiotics, there was a non-significant increase in TIDs and DIDs before the first lockdown (March/2020) (ß1), but a decline in the level immediately after the first (ß2) and second lockdowns (ß4) (November/2020), albeit non-significant. However, a significant increase in the time trend after the second lockdown (ß5) for all antibiotic classes was observed. COVID-19 had no negative impact on AWaRe utilisation, with the proportion of all antibiotics from the Access group increasing from 76% in March/2019 to 90% in March/2023. The proportion of "4C" antibiotic reduced significantly after the second lockdown. CONCLUSIONS: Neither the utilisation nor the quality of total antibiotic use appeared to have been significantly affected by COVID-19.

Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the utilization and quality of antibiotic use in the primary care setting in England, March 2019-March 2023: a segmented interrupted time series analysis of over 53 million individuals.

BACKGROUND: Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, we evaluated the short-term impact of COVID-19 on antibiotic use in primary care in England, focusing on both antibiotic quantity (overuse) and quality (misuse) of use. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: A population-based segmented interrupted analysis was applied on monthly dispensed antibiotics prescriptions using the Prescription Cost Analysis dataset (March/2019-March/2023). The quantity was assessed using number of items dispensed per 1000 inhabitants (NTI) and defined daily doses per 1000 inhabitants per day (DID), while quality was evaluated using WHO's Access Watch Reserve (AWaRe) classification, the proportion of '4C' antibiotics and the percentage of broad- to narrow-spectrum antibiotics. RESULTS: Findings indicate 8.6 (17.2%) and 0.4 (2.6%) increase in the NTI and DID, respectively, with a statistically significant uptick in trend noted after the second lockdown (ß5) for 'total antibiotics' for NTI only (ß5 = 1.6; 95% CI:0.17, 3.1). Quality assessment showed an increase in 'Access' antibiotics from 77% in March/2019 to 86% in March/2023; however, COVID-19 had no significant impact on WHO AWaRe classes. CONCLUSION: COVID-19's impact on antibiotic use quality and quantity appeared to be minimal, though an increase in utilization post-second lockdown coincided with healthcare system recovery. This suggests a nuanced impact of the pandemic, highlighting the importance of continued antimicrobial stewardship.