Antibiotic stewardship sits at the front line of the global challenge of antibiotic resistance.

Readers express their opinions on published articles and topics of interest.

This clinical challenge is based on this month's Focus articles. To complete this activity, go to the RACGP website.

Upper respiratory tract infections have higher rates of prescribing than would be expected according to local guidelines.

The National Antimicrobial Resistance Strategy is Australia’s commitment to the health of future generations.

What was once a fatal disease at the severe end of the spectrum is becoming a treatable condition with improved functional status and outcomes.

General practitioners are well placed to clinically differentiate between deformational plagiocephaly and craniosynostosis and provide timely referrals to optimise patient outcomes.

Australia has good antibiotic regulation and guidelines but must invest in sustained primary care stewardship programs.

A man aged 42 years presented with a three-day history of left periorbital swelling.

A male aged 16 years presented to the emergency department with a three-day history of oral ulceration involving the lips that was associated with skin and genital lesions.

Expectations of antibiotics may reflect a desire for symptomatic treatment, lack of awareness of other options or previous experience.

Patient perceptions and expectations, practitioner clinical uncertainty and practice culture may all be barriers to antibiotic stewardship.

To curb unnecessary and prolonged prescribing of antidepressants, we need to support general practitioners to initiate antidepressants less often and to review and stop antidepressants more often.

Knowledge of the specific dermatoses of pregnancy will assist in diagnosis, management and, importantly, facilitation of timely escalation of care of conditions that can potentially affect the fetus.

Modest proportions of general practice registrars have training in, and in-practice experience of, long-acting reversible contraception insertion.