Sir, I read with interest a recent letter in the BDJ entitled 'Antimicrobial prescribing: the work continues ...' (BDJ 2018; 225: 3–4, published 13 July 2018).

I fully concur with the authors in terms of the potential benefits of audit as a tool to promote educational and behavioural change and in this case with regard to antimicrobial prescribing.1,2

I also agree that undertaking these audits in a foundation training environment could provide benefits to all who are involved, including the foundation dentists, foundation trainers and any other clinicians who participate in such a practice wide audit. In addition, naturally, patients can benefit through receiving an antimicrobial only when it is appropriate.

Reducing the inappropriate prescription of antibiotics in dental practice will also very likely help to combat the development of antimicrobial resistance in microorganisms within the community.

At the present time, I am carrying out an analysis of a large scale antimicrobial audit undertaken in the East of England which has required practitioners to use the online dental audit tool described within the above letter, which is noted as being accessible from the British Dental Association, FGDP (UK) and Public Health England websites.3

However, during the initial analysis it has become apparent that there are several significant flaws within the audit tool which lead to incorrect results being displayed on the report form provided by the tool.

In particular the report section of the tool incorrectly displays the auditor's results in a pie chart format under the proportions of appropriate, inappropriate and potentially appropriate prescribing. I would therefore at the present time advise caution in the use of the tool and in particular in the interpretation of the results section until it is clear that these errors within the tool have been fully rectified.