Changes in antibiotic prescribing following COVID-19 restrictions: Lessons for post-pandemic antibiotic stewardship.
Malcolm Bjørn GilliesDavid P BurgnerLorraine IvancicNatasha NassarJessica E MillerSheena G SullivanIsobel M F ToddSallie-Anne PearsonAndrea L SchafferHelga ZoegaPublished in: British journal of clinical pharmacology (2021)
In a setting with a low COVID-19 incidence, restrictions were associated with a substantial reduction in community dispensings of antibiotics primarily used to treat respiratory infections, coincident with reported reductions in respiratory viral infections. Our findings are informative for post-pandemic antimicrobial stewardship and highlight the potential to reduce inappropriate prescribing by GPs and specialists for respiratory viral infections.