Table 2. Model reporting the incident rate ratio (IRR) comparing prescribing of azithromycin in 2020 with 2019. Taking the variables in the model into account there was a 22% increase, with people aged ≥65 years, female sex, the most deprived, northern regions and people with lower respiratory tract infections and upper respiratory tract infections all being associated with a higher rate of prescribing.

Azithromycin prescribing ratescomparing 2020 with 2019	IRR	Lower	Upper	P
	95% CI	95% CI
Year 2020 (reference level: 2019)	1.22	1.19	1.26	<0.0001
Age band (reference level: 0–15)
16–64	0.71	0.68	0.73	<0.0001
≥ 65	4.77	4.58	4.98	<0.0001
Sex (reference level: F)	0.91	0.88	0.93	<0.0001
IMD quintile (reference level: Q1, most deprived)
Q2	0.90	0.86	0.94	<0.0001
Q3	0.87	0.83	0.90	<0.0001
Q4	0.75	0.72	0.78	<0.0001
Q5 (least deprived)	0.67	0.64	0.70	<0.0001
NHS region (reference: London)
The Midlands and East	1.08	1.03	1.12	<0.0001
North East and Yorkshire	1.47	1.40	1.54	<0.0001
North West	1.13	1.08	1.18	<0.0001
South East	0.94	0.89	0.98	<0.0001
South West	0.72	0.69	0.76	<0.0001
Respiratory disease
LRTI count	1.0051	1.0043	1.0058	<0.0001
URTI count	1.0030	1.0026	1.0035	<0.0001
ILI count	1.0017	0.9982	1.0053	0.3400

ILI = influenza-like illness. IMD = Index of Multiple Deprivation. LRTI = lower respiratory tract infections. URTI = upper respiratory tract infections.