How this pharmacy team reduced antibiotic use

We caught up with the Pharmacist/Pharmacy Team of the Year Award shortlist ahead of this year's General Practice Awards ceremony to be held on Friday at the Novotel London West. The team from Penshurst Gardens Surgery in Barnet share how they reshaped antimicrobial stewardship

'We're immensely proud of our pharmacy team for leading the transformation brought by the Penshurst Protocol,' says Rakhee Hindocha, clinical pharmacist at Penshurst Gardens Surgery. It is a change that has reshaped antimicrobial stewardship at the surgery itself and influenced prescribing practice further afield.

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Introduced in September 2019, the Penshurst Protocol established a structured approval process for the use of restricted broad-spectrum antibiotics, requiring clinicians to obtain a unique antibiotic approval number from a designated antibiotic steward before prescribing.

This approach, adapted from hospital antimicrobial stewardship models and applied in a general practice setting, is designed to ensure prescribing decisions are reviewed against NICE guidance.

Within six months, Penshurst moved from being one of the highest prescribers of cefalexin, ciprofloxacin and co-amoxiclav to one of the lowest locally and nationally.

The system also created a new way of working for practice-based pharmacists, who took on the role of antibiotic stewards and worked closely with GPs to support guideline-aligned prescribing and consistent decision-making.

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The protocol’s success led to adoption across Barnet PCN4 and recognition as best practice by the North Central London Integrated Care Board medicines management team.

The approach has also strengthened clinician-patient conversations, helping GPs confidently explain prescribing decisions when patients request 'stronger' antibiotics, helping to maintain trust and therapeutic relationships.

Ms Hindocha says the work has established 'a pioneering "antibiotic steward" model for pharmacists in general practice' and adds: 'The leadership, innovation, and sustained impact make this achievement truly award-worthy and a powerful example of excellence in antibiotic stewardship.'

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This is the sixth and final  shortlisted entry for Pharmacist/Pharmacy Team of the Year at the General Practice Awards. The winners will be revealed at the awards ceremony this Friday (5 December) at the Novotel London West.