Reduced community antibiotic dispensing in New Zealand during 2015-2018: marked variation in relation to primary health organisation

This study showed that the rate of dispensing of antibiotics by community pharmacies across Aotearoa fell by 4.6% per year between 2015 and 2018, a rate of fall that was similar to that in many other nations. The size of the fall was greatest in children aged 0-4 years, and was similar for people of all ethnic groups and all levels of socio-economic deprivation. The size of fall was greatest for people whose care was provided by the Ngati Porou Hauora Charitable Trust or the Eastern Bay Primary Health Alliance.