Publications by authors named "Rosemary B Ikram"
Background In 2012, New Zealand reclassified trimethoprim to allow specially trained pharmacists to supply it without a prescription to women with symptoms suggesting uncomplicated cystitis, under strict criteria for supply. Objective To assess how this policy change allowing pharmacist supply of trimethoprim affected overall antibiotic supply. Setting Randomly selected community pharmacies throughout New Zealand.
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- The study aimed to assess how urinary tract infections (UTIs), particularly uncomplicated cystitis, are prescribed for women in New Zealand.
- It involved community pharmacies where women with UTI symptoms completed a questionnaire over a two-week period in 2012, leading to data from 789 patients.
- Results showed that while first-line antibiotics were commonly prescribed, there was significant use of norfloxacin and frequent deviations from recommended dosages and treatment durations.
Objectives: To determine the epidemiological relationship between non-invasive penicillin non-susceptible Streptococcus pneumoniae isolates collected in the Christchurch community between 1997 and 2001.
Methods: One hundred and ninety-seven pneumococcal isolates were examined by macrorestriction profile analysis of SmaI-digested genomic DNA separated by PFGE and restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis of penicillin binding protein genes.
Results: Four major clonal lineages were identified, the largest and most homogeneous containing 95 (48.
Aims: To determine the resistance rates and patterns in bacteria causing uncomplicated urinary tract infections (UTIs) presenting to general practitioners (GPs) in Christchurch.
Methods: 82 randomly selected GPs in Christchurch participated in the study. Midstream urine (MSU) samples were prospectively collected for standard microbiological analysis on all women between the ages of 16 and 50 years presenting with symptoms of dysuria and frequency and who had positive dipstick testing to either (or both) nitrites or leucocytes.