Antibiotic deprescribing: Spanish general practitioners’ views on a new strategy to reduce inappropriate use of antibiotics in primary care

Figures & data

Table 1. Baseline characteristics of participating GPs (N = 1,107).

Characteristics	n (%)
Gender
Men	336 (30.4)
Women	753 (68.0)
Age
<40 years	358 (32.3)
40–60 years	591 (53.4)
>60 years	152 (13.7)
Workplace*
Doctor in an urban centre	642 (58.0)
Doctor in a rural centre	291 (26.3)
Family medicine trainees	196 (9.6)
Others	68 (6.2)

*Some respondents could have been working in different settings.

Figure 1. Percentage of GPs willing to deprescribe antibiotic courses stratified by diagnosis (n = 1,107).

Table 2. Distribution of agreement regarding the practice of antibiotic deprescribing (N = 1,107).

	Agree, n (%)	Indifferent, n (%)	Disagree, n (%)
I think that antibiotic deprescribing may generate an increase in complications and hospital admissions.	134 (12.1)	27 (2.4)	946 (85.5)
This strategy should be linked to reconsultation in case of worsening conditions.	1,035 (93.5)	33 (3.0)	39 (3.5)
This strategy should be included in clinical guidelines	1,030 (93.0)	57 (5.2)	20 (1.8)
I recommend this strategy, especially when the patient wishes not to take the antibiotic course.	422 (38.2)	296 (26.7)	389 (34.1)
I prefer using delayed antibiotic prescribing rather than deprescribing an antibiotic when I consider the antibiotic is not needed.	345 (31.2)	244 (22.0)	518 (46.8)
Withdrawing the antibiotic course prescribed by another colleague is unethical.	165 (14.9)	203 (18.3)	739 (66.8)
Deprescribing makes sense in cases of chronic conditions, not in acute conditions.	62 (5.6)	68 (6.1)	977 (88.3)
There is a lack of studies showing that antibiotic deprescribing is safe.	130 (11.7)	335 (30.3)	642 (58.0)
I would only be comfortable in deprescribing if the patient has already taken the medication for at least five days.	133 (12.0)	164 (14.8)	810 (73.2)
I agree to deprescribe if this shows to reduce antimicrobial resistance.	487 (44.0)	192 (17.3)	428 (38.7)
I am comfortable in deprescribing when I believe that in this instance a reasonable conclusion can be made that this strategy will reduce the chance of AMR.	971 (87.7)	62 (5.6)	74 (6.7)
I would act differently during a phone consultation compared to a face-to-face visit.	404 (36.5)	206 (18.6)	497 (44.9)

Figure 2. Percentage of GPs willing to deprescribe an antibiotic when deemed no longer necessary depends on how this course was initiated (n = 1,107).