Daily Brief: 2016.12.30
THREAT ANALYSIS
Effectiveness of Personalized Prescribing
A recent study, released in the Journal of American Medical Association (JAMA) Internal Medicine, has found that a 2-year antibiotic prescription feedback program was ineffective in changing prescribing patterns among physicians in Switzerland. Despite these findings, it was suggested that more thorough prescription feedback programs should be further evaluated.
(Sources: JAMA, CIDRAP)
To complete the study, researchers conducted a randomized trial of 2,900 primary care physicians. The selected physicians reportedly had the highest antibiotic prescription rates in Switzerland. Physicians were randomly split into two groups, an intervention group and a control group. Physicians in the intervention group received updates regarding the rate of antibiotic prescriptions they had written as well as evidence-based antibiotic prescribing guidelines. The control group received no material. Researchers found that there was no difference in antibiotic prescribing between the intervention and control groups across the two-year period.
(Sources: JAMA, CIDRAP)
According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) at least 30 percent of antibiotics prescribed in the United States are unnecessary. In Indiana, specifically, when reviewing community pharmacies, prescriptions were dispensed at a rate of 951 per 1000 people in 2014.
(Source: CDC)
ACTION STEPS
- Providers should get cultures, start the right drug promptly at the right dose for the right duration. Reassess the prescription within 48 hours based on tests and patient exam.
- Providers should stay aware of antibiotic resistance patterns in your facility.
- Providers are encouraged to participate in and lead efforts within your hospital to improve prescribing practices.
(Source: CDC)