A complex intervention to reduce antibiotic prescribing in rural China: a cluster randomised controlled trial.

Background: Excessive use of antibiotics is a widespread problem. We aim to evaluate the efficacy of a multifaceted intervention for reducing antibiotic use in patients with respiratory tract infections (RTIs).

Methods: In this two-arm cluster randomized controlled trial, we enrolled patients aged 18+ with symptomatic RTIs at 40 township health centers (THCs) selected from 10 counties in Anhui, China.