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An Audit of Antibiotic Prescribing by Vocational Dental Practitioners

Objectives To investigate antibiotic prescribing of a group of vocational dental practitioners (VDPs) and assess the implications for postgraduate education. Design A prospective audit was carried out by VDPs in general dental practice in 2003. Results A total of seven vocational training schemes comprising 64 VDPs took part. Most showed some awareness of the indications for therapeutic prescribing but the prescribing patterns of a number were influenced by the pressure of time and workload and difficulty in making a definitive diagnosis. There were wide variations in the therapeutic antibiotic regimens used, with most not conforming to the guidelines available. The majority of VDPs showed a good understanding of the requirement for prescribing prophylactic antibiotics for patients with a cardiac defect but a number also prescribed when there were no medical indications to do so. Conclusions From this audit it is clear that, on occasions, the prescribing of antibiotics by VDPs was not consistent with current knowledge and within the guidelines available. This calls into question the efficacy of present undergraduate teaching or the retention of knowledge. The results suggest that formal education on antibiotic prescribing in general dental practice should take place during the VT year.