To assess current rates of antibiotic use, researchers examined claims data for antibiotic prescriptions filled by more than 31 million BCBS members after an outpatient visit over the seven year period.
Here are four report findings:
1. Collectively, the rate of antibiotic prescriptions declined 9 percent from 2010 through 2016.
2. The prescription rate for broad-spectrum antibiotics — the type of antibiotics most likely to facilitate the development of antibiotic resistance — dropped by 13 percent.
3. Among adults, children and infants, the prescription rate fell by 6 percent, 16 percent and 22 percent, respectively.
4. Despite the declines, providers in 2016 prescribed antibiotics in more than 20 percent of cases when the use of these medications was medically questionable.
“Public health efforts to increase the awareness of excessive antibiotic use and the threat posed by antibiotic-resistant bacteria appear to be achieving measurable results,” said Trent Haywood, MD, senior vice president and CMO for BCBSA. “Unfortunately, the data also show continued high use of broad-spectrum antibiotics for conditions where they have limited effectiveness, indicating there are further improvements to be made.”
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