CDC: 30% of Outpatient Antibiotics Are Prescribed Inappropriately

A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) found that approximately 30% of antibiotic prescriptions written in the outpatient setting were inappropriate.

Researchers found that several common conditions contributed to the majority of inappropriate antibiotic prescribing. Forty-four percent of outpatient antibiotic prescriptions were written to treat acute respiratory conditions, sinus infections, the common cold, bronchitis, influenza, and pneumonia. Half of those prescriptions were found to be unnecessary.

“This report provides the most in-depth picture to date of outpatient antibiotic prescriptions in the U.S. and will serve as a benchmark in measuring progress moving forward,” said David Hyun, MD, a senior officer with Pew’s antibiotic resistance project and a co-author of the study, in a press release.

In an accompanying editorial, researchers at Johns Hopkins University of Medicine argued that the percentage of inappropriate antibiotics is likely much higher, since the study was unable to include prescriptions written over the phone, at urgent care clinics, or those written by physician assistants and nurse practitioners.

For more, read the JAMA study  and see the Pew release.