The number of prescriptions dispensed for children in the U.S. declined by 27 percent in 2020 compared to 2019, according to a study published in Pediatrics.
Researchers from Boston University, the University of Chicago and the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor analyzed data from the IQVIA National Prescription Audit, which contains monthly dispensing counts from 92 percent of U.S. retail pharmacies. They assessed the changes in the monthly number of prescriptions dispensed for children in infancy through 19 years old.
Between April and December 2020, 160,630,406 prescriptions were dispensed for children in that age group, compared to 220,284,613 between April and December 2019.
The most significant decrease in prescriptions were for antibiotics, with the number of prescriptions down 55.6 percent. Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder prescriptions were down 11.8 percent, and prescriptions for antidepressants increased by 0.1 percent.
The number of prescriptions for drugs that treat acute infections decreased 51.3 percent, and prescriptions for drugs to treat chronic diseases decreased 17.4 percent.
The authors wrote that the decreased dispensing of chronic disease drugs is "potentially concerning and warrants further investigation."
Find the full study here.