Improve Outpatient Antibiotic Prescribing Using Publicly Available Data

Antibiotics Aren’t Always the Answer

Avoid Antibiotic Use for Viral Infections

Antibiotics are not effective treatment for viral infections, including COVID-19. However, in a recently released JAMA research letter, Antibiotic prescriptions associated with COVID-19 outpatient visits among Medicare beneficiaries, April 2020–April 2021, CDC authors found that during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic (April 2020-April 2021), 30% of outpatient visits for COVID-19 among Medicare beneficiaries were associated with an antibiotic prescription. Azithromycin was the most frequently prescribed antibiotic (50.7%), followed by doxycycline (13.0%), amoxicillin (9.4%), and levofloxacin (6.7%). Prescribing rates were highest for emergency department (33.9%) and telehealth encounters (28.4%). Non-Hispanic, White beneficiaries were prescribed antibiotics at a higher rate than African-American or Black beneficiaries. Antibiotics, including azithromycin, are not effective treatment for COVID-19 and should not be prescribed to most outpatients with viral infections. Anytime antibiotics are prescribed, they can lead to adverse drug events and contribute to antibiotic resistance, an urgent public health threat. Findings from this study reinforce the importance of improving appropriate antibiotic prescribing in outpatient settings and avoiding unnecessary antibiotic use for viral infections, including COVID-19, in older adult populations. For more information on improving antibiotic prescribing and use, visit www.cdc.gov/antibiotic-use.

	A new CDC study in @JAMANetwork showed 30% of outpatient visits for #COVID19 among Medicare beneficiaries were associated with an antibiotic prescription, over half of which were for azithromycin. Learn more: https://bit.ly/3uZaxQy

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