Reducing Unnecessary Antibiotic Prescriptions in Primary Healthcare in Saskatchewan by Identifying High Prescribers

Saskatchewan Health Authority

Status: Withdrawn

Conditions: Upper Respiratory Tract Infections

Treatments: Behavioral: Audit and Feedback Letter

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT05557214

REB-22-38

Details and patient eligibility

About

Approximately 90% of antibiotics are prescribed in primary healthcare (PHC) in Canada (Public Health Agency of Canada, 2020), making this an important sector for antimicrobial stewardship. Upper respiratory tract infections (URTIs) represent a common indication in PHC for which antibiotics are often prescribed unnecessarily (Leis et al, 2020; Schwartz et al., 2020). Reducing unnecessary antibiotic treatment in this sector is a vital part of contributing to minimizing the global burden of antibiotic resistance.

The goal of this research project is to reduce the number of antibiotic prescriptions among family physicians identified as high prescribers in Saskatchewan. To achieve this, the investigators will send letters to the top 25th percentile of high prescribers in PHC. The letters will contain data indicating the prescribers high antimicrobial usage as well as guidance for reducing unnecessary prescriptions and promoting appropriate lengths of prescriptions for upper respiratory tract infections.

Sex: All

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• must be a practicing family physician in Saskatchewan
• top 25th percentile of antimicrobial prescribers

Exclusion criteria

• fewer than 12 months of historical prescribing data available

Trial design

Primary purpose: Prevention

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

---

0 participants in 2 patient groups

Audit and Feedback Letter

Experimental group

Description:

This group will receive 2 audit and feedback letters and a study closure letter.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Audit and Feedback Letter

No Audit and Feedback Letter

No Intervention group

Description:

This group will only receive a study closure letter.