OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to evaluate if high antibiotic consumption is explained by inappropriate prescribing, given current practice guidelines. This is assessed through measuring the proportion of Upper Respiratory Tract Infection (URTI) treated by GPs with Co-amoxiclav, and Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) treated with fluoroquinolones, comparing across population subgroups for differential treatment patterns.  METHODS: This cohort study included records of all Clalit members visiting physicians from 4300 clinical practices during 2011. Rule-based algorithms were used to classify multiple primary care visits into discrete URTI and UTI events and link these with Ab prescriptions and dispensing. Infectious events and antibiotic prescription rates were calculated. Differences in distributions across districts and population subgroups were then tested with Chi-square analysis; for prescribing ratios for UTI the ratio for prescribing fluoroquinolones vs. Nitrofurantoin (narrow-range Ab of choice) were calculated. RESULTS: