Online Training Leads to Reduced Antibiotic Prescribing in Primary Care

Internet-based training for primary care providers in six European countries had a significant effect on providers’ antibiotic prescribing habits for respiratory tract infections, according to study results published in the October 5, 2013, Lancet. Noting that high antibiotic prescribing rates are an important contributor to antibiotic resistance, the authors sought to study the impact of training in multiple languages and cultures. Before training, 55% of the 6,771 patients who presented to 259 practices with lower respiratory-tract infections were prescribed antibiotics.