Reduction in antibiotic use following a cluster randomized controlled multifaceted intervention: the Israeli judicious antibiotic prescription study.

Background: Antibiotic overuse is of great public health concern. This study assessed whether intervention among physicians and their treated population could achieve a sustained reduction in antibiotic use, specifically in classes known to promote antibiotic resistance among children in a community setting.

Methods: We performed a cluster randomized controlled multifaceted trial among 52 primary care pediatricians and the 88,000 children registered in their practices.