Integrating ecosystem markets to co-ordinate landscape-scale public benefits from nature.

Ecosystem markets are proliferating around the world in response to increasing demand for climate change mitigation and provision of other public goods. However, this may lead to perverse outcomes, for example where public funding crowds out private investment or different schemes create trade-offs between the ecosystem services they each target. The integration of ecosystem markets could address some of these issues but to date there have been few attempts to do this, and there is limited understanding of either the opportunities or barriers to such integration.

Skin infections and antibiotic prescribing: a comparison of surveillance and prescribing data.

Background: Reductions in the number of dispensed antibiotics and the incidence of respiratory infections presented to GPs and have been reported. Whether this trend applies to skin infections requires further investigation.

Aim: To examine trends in the incidence of skin infections in relation to trends in dispensed prescriptions for flucloxacillin, topical fusidic acid, mupirocin, and corticosteroids with fusidic acid.

Trends and influences on use of antidiabetic drugs in England, 1992-2003.

Objective: To describe trends in prescribing for glycaemic control in diabetes mellitus in England, 1993-2003, and to examine the effects of new clinical evidence or national guidance on these.

Design: Observational study of prescribing adjusted for extrapolated changes in epidemiology of insulin and non-insulin treated diabetes.

Setting: Primary care in England, 1992-2003.

The reducing incidence of respiratory tract infection and its relation to antibiotic prescribing.

Background: There is good evidence of reduced prescribing of antibiotics in recent years, but the reason for this has not been established.

Aim: To study the incidence of respiratory tract infections presenting to general practitioners (GPs) in England and Wales in relation to the incidence of other infections and to the prescription of antibiotics.

Setting: Sentinel practices in England and Wales who contribute to the Weekly Returns Service (WRS) of the Royal College of General Practitioners.