November is a busy month with the Movember and Novemburger (yum!) campaigns, but let’s not forget that November 13-19 is World Antibiotic Awareness Week !

This week, we focus on respiratory tract infections and provide some information and tools on how to reduce antibiotic prescriptions while maintaining our excellent level of patient experience.

A big issue is the fact that we as clinicians are aware of overprescribing (of antibiotics for respiratory tract infections), but patients are still demanding an antibiotic. A Cochrane review in 2013 of "delayed prescription" showed the effectiveness of this tactic (see image below) and a "Tools for Practice" from Canadian Family Physician in 2011 provides further evidence and information.

Check out our Quick Links section to access a custom form for Telus PS EMR for Rx Delayed Prescriptions for Antibiotics (want to know what it looks like before you download? View it online). Telus EMR enables you to provide a prescription with the date of issue and a start date that set for anytime in the future - two days is a suggested time period.

There is also a custom form available for Telus PS EMR that is an Rx for Viral Infection (want to know what it looks like before you download? View it online). These are unique prescriptions that we bet your patients haven't seen before! Similar tools for our other EMRs are in the works.

Something for your waiting room: Our Practice Facilitators will be distributing posters given to us by Choosing Wisely to display in your practice about the use of Antibiotics and why they don't work for a cold, flu or other respiratory illness.

Happy deprescribing!

Quick Links:

Tools for Practice: Delayed antibiotic prescriptions for URTIs

Rx Delayed Prescriptions for Antibiotics Custom Form for Telus PS EMR (filed under "Miscellaneous" - scroll to "Choosing Wisely")

Rx for Viral Infections Custom Form for Telus PS EMR (filed under "Miscellaneous" - scroll to "Choosing Wisely")

HFHT

Choosing Wisely Committee: