{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,12]],"date-time":"2026-10-12T16:57:40Z","timestamp":1791824260570,"version":"4.3.4"},"reference-count":39,"publisher":"Oxford University Press (OUP)","issue":"1","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2023,1,5]],"date-time":"2023-01-05T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1672876800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":75,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Welsh Value in Health Centre"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":[],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2023,1,5]]},"abstract":"<jats:title>Abstract<\/jats:title><jats:sec><jats:title>Background<\/jats:title><jats:p>An NHS-funded sore throat test and treat (STTT) service was introduced in selected community pharmacies in Wales. Service users were screened using FeverPAIN\/Centor scores, offered rapid antigen detection testing (RADT) to detect group A Streptococcus if appropriate, and supplied with antibiotics (by the pharmacist) if indicated. Following an initial evaluation, the service was rolled out nationally.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Objectives<\/jats:title><jats:p>This study forms part of the long-term STTT evaluation. The aim was to describe characteristics of the service and service users, the delivery, service outcomes, patient safety and antibiotic prescribing.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title><jats:p>Cross-sectional descriptive study using anonymized individual-level data from electronic pharmacy records of all eligible STTT service users between November 2018 and February 2020.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Results<\/jats:title><jats:p>We identified 11\u200a304 pharmacy STTT consultations in service users aged 6\u2005years and over, with a median age of 25\u2005years (IQR: 12 to 44). RADT was undertaken in 8666 (76.7%) consultations with 2503 (28.9% of RADT) positive tests. In total, 2406 (21.3%) service users were supplied with antibiotics. Pharmacists managed 91% of consultations in the pharmacy and referred only 937 (9.3%) service users to a GP and 27 (0.2%) to the Emergency Department. Higher rates of antibiotic supply were observed in out-of-hours consultations when compared with in-hours (24.9% versus 20.9%).<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Conclusions<\/jats:title><jats:p>This is the largest description of a pharmacy-led STTT service to date and suggests it can be delivered at scale to align with a pre-specified pathway that promotes appropriate use of RADT and antibiotics. The service could substantially reduce workload from a common illness in other heavily pressurized areas of primary and emergency care.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1093\/jac\/dkac358","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2022,10,22]],"date-time":"2022-10-22T16:57:54Z","timestamp":1666457874000},"page":"84-92","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":33,"title":["Characteristics of the sore throat test and treat service in community pharmacies (STREP) in Wales: cross-sectional analysis of 11\u200a304 consultations using anonymized electronic pharmacy records"],"prefix":"10.1093","volume":"78","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6313-1409","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Efi","family":"Mantzourani","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Cardiff School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cardiff University, Redwood Building, King Edward VII Avenue, Cardiff CF10 3NB, Wales , UK"},{"name":"Primary Care, Digital Health and Care Wales, NHS Wales, Cardiff , Wales , UK"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8403-6921","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Diana","family":"Wasag","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Division of Population Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff , Wales , UK"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Rebecca","family":"Cannings-John","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Centre for Trials Research, Cardiff University, Cardiff , Wales , UK"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-0634-8548","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Haroon","family":"Ahmed","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Division of Population Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff , Wales , UK"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Andrew","family":"Evans","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Primary Care Services, Welsh Government, Cardiff , Wales , UK"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"286","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2022,10,22]]},"reference":[{"key":"2023010801134948700_dkac358-B1","article-title":"Efficacy and safety of rapid tests to guide antibiotic prescriptions for sore throat","author":"Cohen","year":"2020","journal-title":"Cochrane Database Syst Rev"},{"key":"2023010801134948700_dkac358-B2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"365","DOI":"10.1186\/1745-6215-15-365","article-title":"Oral corticosteroid use for clinical and cost-effective symptom relief of sore throat: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial","volume":"15","author":"Cook","year":"2014","journal-title":"Trials"},{"issue":"uppl 2","key":"2023010801134948700_dkac358-B3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"ii2","DOI":"10.1093\/jac\/dkx504","article-title":"Antibiotics in primary care in England: which antibiotics are prescribed and for which conditions?","volume":"73","author":"Dolk","year":"2018","journal-title":"J Antimicrob Chemother"},{"key":"2023010801134948700_dkac358-B4","first-page":"11","article-title":"Point-of- care testing for pharyngitis in the pharmacy","volume":"9","author":"Essack","year":"2020","journal-title":"Antibiotics (Basel)"},{"key":"2023010801134948700_dkac358-B5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"159","DOI":"10.1016\/j.otoeng.2015.05.003","article-title":"Recommendations for management of acute pharyngitis in adults","volume":"66","author":"Cots","year":"2015","journal-title":"Acta Otorrinolaringologica (English Edition)"},{"key":"2023010801134948700_dkac358-B6","first-page":"251","article-title":"Pharyngitis: approach to diagnosis and treatment","volume":"66","author":"Sykes","year":"2020","journal-title":"Can Fam Physician"},{"key":"2023010801134948700_dkac358-B7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"138","DOI":"10.1136\/bmj.326.7381.138","article-title":"Why do general practitioners prescribe antibiotics for sore throat? 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