Better, not just fewer: Rethinking antibiotic prescribing

The article argues that improving antibiotic prescribing requires more than simply reducing the number of prescriptions: while digital clinical decision support tools like ePOCT+ can significantly cut unnecessary antibiotic use in primary care (e.g., in pediatric settings), true antimicrobial stewardship also depends on addressing behavioural, organisational, and policy factors that influence clinician decision-making, ensuring appropriate choice, dose and duration of antibiotics, integrating these tools within broader systems, and attending to equity, governance, and contextual adaptation to sustain impact and mitigate antimicrobial resistance.