{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,23]],"date-time":"2026-09-23T19:52:18Z","timestamp":1790193138751,"version":"4.1.0"},"reference-count":23,"publisher":"Oxford University Press (OUP)","issue":"2","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2023,12,22]],"date-time":"2023-12-22T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1703203200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":[],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2024,2,1]]},"abstract":"<jats:title>Abstract<\/jats:title>\n               <jats:sec>\n                  <jats:title>Background<\/jats:title>\n                  <jats:p>Community pharmacies in Wales delivered an NHS-funded sore throat test and treat (STTT) service during the period of increased invasive Group A Streptococcus (iGAS) incidents in winter 2022\u201323. Service users were screened using FeverPAIN\/CENTOR scores, offered GAS rapid antigen detection tests (RADT) if appropriate, and antibiotics if indicated.<\/jats:p>\n               <\/jats:sec>\n               <jats:sec>\n                  <jats:title>Objectives<\/jats:title>\n                  <jats:p>To evaluate the service\u2019s response to a substantial rise in sore throat presentations during a period of heightened public anxiety.<\/jats:p>\n               <\/jats:sec>\n               <jats:sec>\n                  <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                  <jats:p>Cross-sectional study with anonymized individual-level data from electronic pharmacy records of all eligible STTT service users, between January 2022 and March 2023.<\/jats:p>\n               <\/jats:sec>\n               <jats:sec>\n                  <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                  <jats:p>Antibiotics were supplied to 24% (95% CI: 23\u201324) of people who used the STTT service and 31% (95% CI: 31\u201332) of those who met the threshold for an RADT. Of 27\u200a441 STTT consultations, 9308 (33.9%) occurred during December 2022. In the week commencing 2 December 2022, following the announcements of increased iGAS incidents, we observed a statistically significant increase of 1700 consultations (95% CI: 924\u20132476) and a statistically significant decrease in supply rate of 13.9 antibiotics per 100 RADT (95% CI: \u221218.40 to \u22129.40). Antibiotic supply rates increased thereafter to those observed before the announcements of iGAS incidents. Referral rates to other primary care or emergency settings remained below 10% throughout the study period.<\/jats:p>\n               <\/jats:sec>\n               <jats:sec>\n                  <jats:title>Conclusions<\/jats:title>\n                  <jats:p>Our findings suggest that, despite a dramatic increase in sore throat consultation rates in response to media reports, the pre-specified pathway followed by pharmacists ensured appropriate use of antibiotics, and absorbed a substantial workload that would otherwise end up in other healthcare settings.<\/jats:p>\n               <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1093\/jac\/dkad388","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2023,12,22]],"date-time":"2023-12-22T19:14:37Z","timestamp":1703272477000},"page":"354-359","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":7,"title":["A pharmacy-led sore throat test and treat (STTT) service: antigen testing and antibiotic supply rates during the period of heightened public awareness of Group A 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