From 2011 to 2019, the rate of oral antibiotic prescriptions filled at U.S. outpatient pharmacies declined by 13%. The number of prescriptions dropped from 877 per 1,000 people in 2011 to 765 per 1,000 people in 2018 and 2019. According to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology, a total of 2.4 billion oral antibiotic prescriptions were dispensed over this time period. The most significant reduction (-25%) was seen among children and individuals under 20 years old with macrolides showing the largest decrease across all age groups. However, the smallest decrease observed in the rate of oral antibiotic prescriptions during the study period was a 1% decrease among adults aged 65 and older, which the authors highlight as an opportunity for further evaluation of prescribing practices. The study examined a large dataset of more than 74% of all outpatient retail prescriptions.
Since then: In 2023, the Office of Antibiotic Stewardship at the CDC issued new guidance to support antimicrobial and diagnostic stewardship in healthcare, which can be accessed on the CDC website.
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- Antibiotic Stewardship in Pediatric Acute Otitis Media—Pearls and Pitfalls
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