The authors of a new examination of GP video consulting services say “concerns about safety and working practices, including antibiotic prescribing, should urgently be addressed”.
Researchers at Imperial College London searched the online register of the Care Quality Commission and identified seven private companies offering video consulting with GPs. Four of the seven services specified on their websites that they would prescribe antibiotics. Internet searches for ‘get antibiotics’, ‘prescribe antibiotics’, ‘antibiotic prescription’, ‘buy antibiotics’ and ‘private antibiotics’ all returned the top result as an advertising link to a GP video consultation service promising an antibiotic prescription ‘in minutes’. None of the websites made any mention of appropriate use of antibiotics or of antibiotic stewardship.
“While affordable and accessible private primary care may be attractive to many patients, the existence of these services raises several questions. A particular concern, given continued development of antimicrobial resistance, is that some companies appear to use ease of access to treatment with antibiotics as an advertising strategy,” the authors say. Writing in the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, they say such marketing practices may increase the patient’s expectations, thereby increasing prescribing.
Furthermore, the authors say, the uncertainty inherent in video consulting, where examination is impossible, could increase antibiotic prescribing as GPs may feel the need to “play it safe”.
“Research in other settings has suggested that private healthcare providers may have higher antibiotic prescribing rates, and general practitioners may feel further pressure to prescribe when carrying out private online consultations. Provision of antibiotics is known to be associated with increased patient satisfaction, and in a competitive online environment, private companies will be particularly reliant on positive patient feedback,” they point out.