Antimicrobial stewardship in Australia: the role of qualitative research in programme development.

Antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) in Australia is supported by a number of factors, including enabling national policies, sectoral clinical governance frameworks and surveillance programmes, clinician-led educational initiatives and health services research. A One Health research programme undertaken by the National Centre for Antimicrobial Stewardship (NCAS) in Australia has combined antimicrobial prescribing surveillance with qualitative research focused on developing antimicrobial use-related situational analyses and scoping AMS implementation options across healthcare settings, including metropolitan hospitals, regional and rural hospitals, aged care homes, general practice clinics and companion animal and agricultural veterinary practices. Qualitative research involving clinicians across these diverse settings in Australia has contributed to improved understanding of contextual factors that influence antimicrobial prescribing, and barriers and facilitators of AMS implementation. This body of research has been underpinned by a commitment to supplementing 'big data' on antimicrobial prescribing practices, where available, with knowledge of the sociocultural, technical, environmental and other factors that shape prescribing behaviours. NCAS provided a unique opportunity for exchange and cross-pollination across the human and animal health programme domains. It has facilitated synergistic approaches to AMS research and education, and implementation of resources and stewardship activities. The NCAS programme aimed to synergistically combine quantitative and qualitative approaches to AMS research. In this article, we describe the qualitative findings of the first 5 years.

Feasibility and Validity of a Framework for Antimicrobial Stewardship in General Practice: Key Stakeholder Interviews.

There is little guidance about developing systems for antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) for general practice. A literature review identified six key components: governance, monitoring of antibiotic prescribing and resistance with feedback to prescribers, consultation support, education of the public and general practitioners, pharmacist and nurse involvement, and research, which were incorporated into a potential framework for the general practice context. Objectives: to determine the feasibility and validity of the proposed AMS framework. A secondary objective was to identify likely bodies responsible for implementation in Australia. We undertook interviews with 12 key stakeholders from government, research, and professional groups. Data were analysed with a thematic approach. The framework was considered valid and feasible. No clear organisation was identified to lead AMS implementation in general practice. The current volume-based antibiotic prescription monitoring system was considered insufficient. AMS education for the public, further development of GP education, and improved consultation support were strongly recommended. The role of community-based pharmacists and nurses is largely unexplored, but their involvement was recommended. A clear leader to drive AMS in general practice is essential for an action framework to gain traction. Monitoring and feedback of antibiotic prescribing require urgent development to include monitoring of prescribing appropriateness and patient outcomes.

Antimicrobial Stewardship in General Practice: A Scoping Review of the Component Parts.

There is no published health-system-wide framework to guide antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) in general practice. The aim of this scoping review was to identify the component parts necessary to inform a framework to guide AMS in general practice. Six databases and nine websites were searched. The sixteen papers included were those that reported on AMS in general practice in a country where antibiotics were available by prescription from a registered provider. Six multidimensional components were identified: 1. Governance, including a national action plan with accountability, prescriber accreditation, and practice level policies. 2. Education of general practitioners (GPs) and the public about AMS and antimicrobial resistance (AMR). 3. Consultation support, including decision support with patient information resources and prescribing guidelines. 4. Pharmacist and nurse involvement. 5. Monitoring of antibiotic prescribing and AMR with feedback to GPs. 6. Research into gaps in AMS and AMR evidence with translation into practice. This framework for AMS in general practice identifies health-system-wide components to support GPs to improve the quality of antibiotic prescribing. It may assist in the development and evaluation of AMS interventions in general practice. It also provides a guide to components for inclusion in reports on AMS interventions.

Effectiveness of interventions involving pharmacists on antibiotic prescribing by general practitioners: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: The use of community antibiotic stewardship programmes (ASPs) is rising; however, their effectiveness when pharmacists are involved is uncertain. OBJECTIVES: To assess the effectiveness of ASPs involving pharmacists at improving antibiotic prescribing by general practitioners (GPs). METHODS: Medline, Embase, Emcare, PubMed, PsycINFO, Cochrane CENTRAL, CINAHL Plus and Web of Science databases were searched to February 2018. Randomized and non-randomized studies of ASPs involving pharmacists as interventionists to GPs were included. Primary outcomes were absolute changes in GPs' antibiotic prescribing rate (APR) and antibiotic prescribing adherence rate (APAR) according to recommendations/guidelines. Meta-analysis used random effects models. RESULTS: Fifteen studies reporting 18 trials were included in the meta-analysis: 8 assessed the APR and 10 the APAR. APR reductions (OR 0.86, 95% CI 0.78-0.95, moderate-certainty evidence) and APAR improvements (OR 1.96, 95% CI 1.56-2.45, high-certainty evidence) were observed at 6 months median intervention follow-up. High-quality randomized trials reduced the APR (OR 0.92, 95% CI 0.90-0.94) and increased the APAR (OR 2.55, 95% CI 2.16-3.01). Interventions were successful in decreasing the APR (OR 0.93, 95% CI 0.90-0.95) and increasing the APAR (OR 1.72, 95% CI 1.04-2.84) when implemented by a pharmacist-GP team. Interventions involving pharmacist-infectious disease professional teams also decreased the APR (OR 0.81, 95% CI 0.66-1.0) and increased the APAR (OR 2.36, 95% CI 1.87-2.96). GP education plus prescribing feedback, and group meetings were effective in both outcomes, whereas GP education, academic detailing and workshop training were effective in APAR outcome. However, substantial heterogeneity was demonstrated. CONCLUSIONS: ASPs involving pharmacists are effective in decreasing antibiotic prescribing and increasing guideline-adherent antibiotic prescribing by GPs.

Antimicrobial prescribing for children in primary care.

AIM: To describe the patterns of antimicrobial prescribing in general practice for children aged ≤18 years. METHODS: This is a review of routinely collected patient data extracted from computerised medical records from 39 general practices in eastern metropolitan Melbourne over a 5-year period, 2010-2014. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Proportion of paediatric consultations resulting in antibiotic prescription, type and frequency of antibiotics prescribed, antibiotic prescribing stratified by age, reason for indication and inter-practice variation. RESULTS: There were 744 883 consultations for 89 983 individual paediatric patients and 85 913 prescriptions for antibiotics during the study period. Of these antibiotic prescriptions, 75 410 were associated with a consultation, and 10 503 (12.2% of all prescriptions) had no associated consultation in the data. On average, one in five individual children was prescribed an antibiotic each year. The most commonly prescribed antibiotics were cephalexin, amoxycillin/clavulanate, cefaclor, phenoxymethylpenicillin and roxithromycin. Less than 3% of all prescriptions were for amoxycillin. Prescribing of cefaclor and roxithromycin decreased, although cefaclor remained the third most common antibiotic choice for general practitioners. Peaks in prescribing were noted over winter months. Reason for prescription was not recorded for 82% of prescriptions. The frequency of antibiotic prescription per consultation varied substantially (2.1-19.7%) between general practitioner clinics. Overall, antibiotic prescribing decreased by 2.3% over the 5-year period. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides a focused examination of antibiotic prescribing practices for children in Australian general practice. More information is required to better understand specific prescribing practices in children, including the low frequency of amoxycillin prescription and ongoing prescription of cefaclor.

Improving antibiotic prescribing by general practitioners: a protocol for a systematic review of interventions involving pharmacists.

INTRODUCTION: Effective antibiotic options in general practice for patients with infections are declining significantly due to antibiotic over-prescribing and emerging antibiotic resistance. To better improve antibiotic prescribing by general practitioner (GP), pharmacist-GP collaborations have been promoted under antibiotic stewardship programmes. However, there is insufficient information about whether and how pharmacists help GPs to more appropriately prescribe antibiotics. This systematic review aims to determine whether pharmacist-led or pharmacist-involved interventions are effective at improving antibiotic prescribing by GPs. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: A systematic review of English language randomised controlled trials (RCTs), cluster RCTs, controlled before-and-after studies and interrupted time series studies cited in MEDLINE, EMBASE, EMCARE, CINAHL Plus, PubMed, PsycINFO, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials and Web of Science databases will be conducted. Studies will be included if a pharmacist is involved as the intervention provider and GPs are the intervention recipients in general practice setting. Data extraction and management will be conducted using Effective Practice and Organisation of Care data abstraction tools and a template for intervention description and replication. The Cochrane and ROBINS-I risk of bias assessment tools will be used to assess the methodological quality of studies. Primary outcome measures include changes (overall, broad spectrum and guidelines concordance) of GP-prescribed antibiotics. Secondary outcomes include quality of antibiotic prescribing, delayed antibiotic use, acceptability and feasibility of interventions. Meta-analysis for combined effect and forest plots, χ2 test and I2 statistics for detailed heterogeneity and sensitivity analysis will be performed if data permit. Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation and Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Protocols guidance will be used to report findings. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: No ethics approval is required as no primary, personal or confidential data are being collected in this study. The findings will be disseminated to national and international scientific sessions and published in a peer-reviewed journal. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42017078478.

Use of electronic medical records to describe general practitioner antibiotic prescribing patterns

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The computerised medical records of general practice patients can inform our understanding of antibiotic prescribing and assist in antimicrobial stewardship (AMS). The aim of this study was to describe Australian general practitioner (GP) antibiotic prescribing patterns using data extracted from electronic medical records (EMR). METHOD: A descriptive analysis of patient records from 44 general practices, between 2010 and 2014, in the eastern region of metropolitan Melbourne was undertaken. RESULTS: Of the 615,362 antibiotic prescriptions, cefalexin, amoxicillin­clavulanic acid, roxithromycin, doxycycline and clarithromycin were the most frequently prescribed antibiotics. Except for cefalexin, prescribing rates of the antibiotics increased in winter. Of 472,197 patients consulting a GP in one of these practices, 34.8% received an antibiotic at some point over the five years. There was a higher rate of prescribing per consultation in patients aged <20 years. DISCUSSION: This study shows that it is possible to examine EMR for antibiotic prescriptions, and that a descriptive analysis can identify AMS targets.