Can Education Curb Antibiotic Overuse?

Overuse of antibiotics has been documented extensively, but good solutions to the problem remain elusive. Two new studies add to the list of minimally effective interventions.

Canadian researchers randomized the top 3500 outpatient antibiotic prescribers among Ontario primary care MDs to receive a letter reviewing suitable indications for antibiotics, a letter reviewing suitable duration of antibiotic prescriptions, or no intervention (controls). During the following year, antibiotic prescriptions in both intervention groups dropped slightly, achieving statistical significance only in the comparison of the “duration letter” group versus controls. Overall, an approximate 5% decrease in total antibiotic prescriptions was achieved.

In another st…