CDC: At least 30% of antibiotic scripts unnecessary

ATLANTA — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, according to new data published Tuesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association that at least 1-in-3 antibiotic prescriptions are unnecessary. The study looks at antibiotic use in doctors’ offices and emergency rooms nationwide, finding that some 47 million excess antibiotic prescriptions are written for viral respiratory conditions. 

 

“Antibiotics are lifesaving drugs, and if we continue down the road of inappropriate use we'll lose the most powerful tool we have to fight life-threatening infections,” CDC director Dr. Tom Frieden. “Losing these antibiotics would undermine our ability to treat patients with deadly infections, cancer, provide organ transplants, and save victims of burns and trauma.”

 

The news comes as the National Action Plan for Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria (CARB) seeks to reduce the number of antibiotic prescriptions by 15% by 2020. Congress has allotted $160 million toward funding for the CDC to implement the CARB plan by accelerating outbreak detection and prevention state-by-state, supporting research to identify knowledge gaps and informing providers and the public about antibiotic resistance and appropriate use, among other initiatives. 

 

“Setting a national target to reduce unnecessary antibiotic use in outpatient settings is a critical first step to improve antibiotic use and protect patients," said Lauri Hicks, director of the CDC’s Office of Antibiotic Stewardship. “We must continue to work together across the entire health care continuum to make sure that antibiotics are prescribed only when needed, and when an antibiotic is needed that the right antibiotic, dose, and duration are selected.”