The CDC released a new toolkit for payers that empowers them to provide feedback to providers on outpatient antibiotic prescriptions and improve use.
Developed alongside Pew, the toolkit aims to cut down on antibiotic overprescription, as a third of outpatient antibiotics end up being unnecessary, according to the Sept. 15 announcement.
"All antibiotic use contributes to resistance, and most antibiotics in the U.S. are given in outpatient settings — many of them inappropriately," said David Hyun, MD, director of The Pew Charitable Trusts Antibiotic Resistance Project. "Insurance companies can give providers the information they need to improve antibiotic stewardship, and the new toolkit from CDC gives them a roadmap."