Physicians late in their career are more likely to prescribe antibiotics for longer durations, according to a study published in Clinical Infectious Diseases.
Researchers conducted a retrospective cohort analysis of family physicians in Ontario, Canada, between March 1, 2016, and Feb. 28 2017. They defined prolonged antibiotic course prescribed as more than eight days of therapy. They included 10,616 family physicians, prescribing a total of 5.6 million antibiotic courses, in the study.
The median proportion of prolonged antibiotic courses was 33.3 percent. Researchers found later career stage physicians, rural location and a larger pediatric practices were significantly associated with greater prescription of prolonged courses.
Additionally, late- and mid-career physicians were more likely to prescribe prolonged antibiotic courses as compared to early-career physicians.