ABSTRACT
Antibiotic resistance (ABR) is a wicked problem and although it is having a major impact on health, causes are far-reaching and span beyond health system to sectors such as agriculture, veterinary, food production and public policy. General practitioners (GPs) have been recognised as one contributor to the problem of ABR due to the over-prescription and inappropriate prescription of antibiotics. GPs were prioritised as the target of the 'supporting the improvement and management of prescribing for urinary tract infections' (SIMPle) intervention as they were the gatekeepers who gave patients access to antibiotics through prescribing. SIMPle focused on the interaction between the GP and patient within the UTI consultation. SIMPle's primary objective was to improve the quality of antibiotic prescribing for UTI patients according to guidelines. The SIMPle intervention was designed to be implemented within general practice in Ireland. To date the SIMPle study is the largest non-pharmaceutical trial to have taken place in Ireland.
