Unnecessary antibiotic use is a direct contributor to antimicrobial resistance – an international public health threat.

Before the pandemic, major efforts were made to improve prescribing for the management of respiratory tract infections (RTI). COVID-19 created further challenges in the management of RTI including when a patient should be tested for the virus, when to prescribe antibiotics, and when to be assessed virtually and in person.

What is best practice?
In this BMJ article, Dr. Leis and an international group of clinician and patient coauthors summarize when patients should be assessed in person and when to prescribe antibiotics based on best available evidence related to RTI in primary care.