scholarly journals Outpatient antifungal prescribing patterns in the United States, 2018

Author(s):  
Kaitlin Benedict ◽  
Sharon V. Tsay ◽  
Monina G. Bartoces ◽  
Snigdha Vallabhaneni ◽  
Brendan R. Jackson ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: Widespread inappropriate antibiotic prescribing is a major driver of resistance. Little is known about antifungal prescribing practices in the United States, which is concerning given emerging resistance in fungi, particularly to azole antifungal agents. Objective: We analyzed outpatient antifungal prescribing data in the United States to inform stewardship efforts. Design: Descriptive analysis of outpatient antifungal prescriptions dispensed during 2018 in the IQVIA Xponent database. Methods: Prescriptions were summarized by drug, sex, age, geography, and healthcare provider specialty. Census denominators were used to calculate prescribing rates among demographic groups. Results: Healthcare providers prescribed 22.4 million antifungal courses in 2018 (68 prescriptions per 1,000 persons). Fluconazole was the most commonly prescribed drug (75%), followed by terbinafine (11%) and nystatin (10%). Prescription rates were higher among females versus males (110 vs 25 per 1,000 population) and adults versus children (82 vs 27 per 1,000 population). Prescription rates were highest in the South (81 per 1,000 population) and lowest in the West (48 per 1,000 population). Nurse practitioners and family practitioners prescribed the most antifungals (43% of all prescriptions), but the highest prescribing rates were among obstetrician-gynecologists (84 per provider). Conclusions: Prescribing antifungal drugs in the outpatient setting is common, with enough courses dispensed for 1 in every 15 US residents in 2018. Fluconazole use patterns suggest vulvovaginal candidiasis as a common indication. Regional prescribing differences could reflect inappropriate use or variations in disease burden. Further study of higher antifungal use in the South could help target antifungal stewardship practices.

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S112-S112
Author(s):  
Leanne Teoh ◽  
Wendy Thompson ◽  
Colin Hubbard ◽  
David M Patrick ◽  
Fawziah Marra ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Antibiotic resistance is recognised as a major public health burden. Dentists overprescribe antibiotics and prescribe for unnecessary indications. Tracking and investigating prescribing practices by healthcare professionals provides insights needed to inform targeted antibiotic stewardship interventions. It is unclear how dental antibiotic prescribing patterns differs between countries. The aim of this study was to compare antibiotic prescribing by dentists in Australia, England the United States (US) and British Columbia (BC). Methods This was a cross-sectional study of dispensed dental antibiotic prescriptions between January 1 and December 31, 2017, from Australia, England, US and BC. Dispensed dental antibiotic prescriptions included those from outpatient pharmacies and healthcare settings. Outcome measures included the proportion of dental antibiotic prescriptions by location and prescribing rates by population. Results English dentists prescribed 1.6 times more antibiotics than those in Australia, and dentists in BC and US prescribed around twice more than Australian dentists. (Australia: 33.2 prescriptions/1000population; England: 53.5 prescriptions/1000population; US: 72.6 prescriptions/1000 population; BC: 65.0 prescriptions/1000 population). The types of antibiotics prescribed were similar across all countries, where penicillins were the predominant class prescribed (66.8–80.5% of antibiotic prescriptions). US dentists and dentists in BC prescribed more clindamycin compared to the dentists in other countries. Conclusion Dentists in the US, England and BC prescribed at relatively higher rates than Australian dentists. The findings from this study should initiate an evaluation by dentists of their prescribing practices and responsibilities regarding their contribution towards antibiotic resistance. Further investigations can be aimed at determining country-specific factors that influence dental antibiotic prescription. Disclosures Leanne Teoh, BDSc(Hons) BPharm(Hons), Australian Government Research Training Program Scholarship (Other Financial or Material Support, Scholarship awarded for the PhD candidature)


2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S10-S11
Author(s):  
Katryna A Gouin ◽  
Laura M King ◽  
Monina Bartoces ◽  
Sarah Kabbani; Rebecca M Roberts ◽  
Sharon Tsay ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Fluoroquinolones (FQs) are the third most commonly prescribed antibiotics among U.S. outpatients, and the second most commonly prescribed class among adults ≥ 65 years of age. However, FQ use has been associated with severe adverse events, especially among older adults. As a result, in 2016 the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued warnings against FQ use when other agents may be effective. We assessed changes in outpatient FQ prescribing relative to overall antibiotic prescribing from 2011 to 2018. Methods We estimated annual antibiotic prescription rates in adults ≥ 20 years of age for all classes and FQs using national prescription dispensing count data from IQVIA Xponent (numerator) and census estimates (denominator) for 2011 to 2018. We used Poisson models to estimate prevalence rate ratios (PRR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) comparing antibiotic prescription rates overall and stratified by age group from 2011 to 2018. The Chi-square test was used to compare the percent decrease in rates between age groups. Results From 2011 to 2018, prescription rates in adults for all antibiotics decreased by 2% (PRR 0.98, 95% CI: 0.98-0.98); FQ prescription rates decreased by 30% (PRR 0.70, 95% CI: 0.69–0.70), with the largest decline from 2015–2018 (Figure 1). Adults ≥ 65 years had the highest FQ prescription rates for 2011 to 2018, at a rate 2.37 (95% CI: 2.32,2.42) times that of adults 20–64 years (Figure 2). The FQ prescribing rate in adults 20–64 experienced a greater decrease from 2011 to 2018 than the rate in adults ≥ 65 years (p< 0.0001), with a 35% decrease (PRR 0.65, 95% CI: 0.65, 0.65) in adults 20–64 years compared to a 29% (PRR 0.71, 95% CI: 0.71-0.71) decrease in adults ≥ 65 years (Figure 2). Decreases in total outpatient antibiotic and fluoroquinolone prescribing rates among adults in the United States from 2011 to 2018 Decreases in outpatient fluoroquinolone prescriptions per 1,000 persons by age group in the United States from 2011 to 2018 Conclusion FQ prescribing decreased markedly compared to overall antibiotic prescribing from 2011 to 2018, which was likely due in part to FDA warnings on FQ-associated adverse events. However, FQ prescribing among older adults remained high during this period and did not decrease as much as in younger adults. Further evaluation of the diagnoses associated with prescribing may provide additional opportunities to optimize FQ prescribing practices, especially among older adults. Disclosures All Authors: No reported disclosures


2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (6) ◽  
pp. 499-506 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luisa M. Bigal, BA ◽  
Kristen Bibeau, PhD ◽  
Stephanie Dumbar, PhD

Background: As determinants of the opioid epidemic are several, describing patterns of opioid prescription over time is of importance.Objective: To characterize the prescribing patterns of opioids per US region and physician specialty from 2012 to 2015.Methods: Truven Health Analytics MarketScan® Databases were used to obtain data on opioid prescription rates per US region and physician specialty for the years 2012-2015. Opioids included in the study are tramadol, hydrocodone, codeine, oxycodone, oxymorphone, methadone, and fentanyl.Results: Starting sample consisted of 5,860,096 individuals. An increase in prescriptions was seen for codeine (22.3 percent), oxycodone (22.4 percent), and tramadol (22.4 percent), while other opioids had decreases between 6.5 and 20.2 percent during this period. Family medicine physicians were the most frequent prescriber for all opioids except for oxycodone; nonphysician prescribers’ share of prescriptions nearly doubled for all opioids. The share of oxycodone and of tramadol among all opioids increased in all regions, while the opposite was seen for hydrocodone. Codeine prescription share increased substantially in the South but not in other regions. When comparing the period of 2012-2015, differences were significant for all regions (p 0.0001 for all regions). In 2015, the rate of prescription of oxycodone was nearly twofold higher in the Northeast vs North Central (38 percent vs 18.5 percent, p 0.0001), while tramadol was substantially more frequently prescribed in the South, where it responded to nearly 20 percent of all opioid prescriptions (p 0.0001).Conclusion: Patterns of prescription per opioid vary considerably per physician specialty and per US region. Although an overall decrease in prescriptions was seen, certain opioids were more frequently prescribed in 2015 than in 2012.


2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S720-S720
Author(s):  
Amy M Beeson ◽  
Grace E Marx ◽  
Amy M Schwartz ◽  
Alison F Hinckley

Abstract Background Lyme disease (LD) is the most common vector-borne disease in the United States and is a significant public health problem. The use of non-standard antibiotic treatment regimens for LD has been associated with adverse effects; however, the overall landscape of treatment has not been described previously. We aimed to describe real-world antibiotic prescribing patterns for LD. Methods We performed a retrospective analysis of the MarketScan commercial claims database of outpatient encounters from 2016-2018 in the United States. We identified all individuals with a visit that included an LD diagnosis code and a prescription within 30 days of the visit for one or more of 12 antibiotics that may be prescribed for LD. We then categorized each individual as having received either standard or non-standard treatment during the two-year period. Standard treatment was defined as treatment with a first, second or third-line antibiotic for LD, for no longer than 30 days, and for no more than two episodes during the study period. Descriptive and multivariable analyses were performed to compare characteristics of people who received standard vs non-standard treatment for LD. Results A total of 84,769 prescriptions met criteria for inclusion, written for 45,926 unique patients. The mean duration of prescriptions was 21.4 days (SD 10.8). Most individuals (84.5%) treated for LD received standard treatment during the study period. Female gender (OR 1.5, p< 0.0001) and age 19-45 (p=0.0003) were significantly associated with being prescribed non-standard LD treatment. Treatment in low-incidence states (OR 2.2 compared to high-incidence states, p< 0.0001) and during non-summer months (OR 2.2, p< 0.0001) was more likely to be non-standard. Age distribution of patients receiving treatment for Lyme disease, by gender and age at first prescription Seasonality of standard versus non-standard treatment of Lyme disease Conclusion In this population of employed, young, and insured patients, young and middle-aged women were at the highest risk of receiving non-standard LD treatment. Treatments prescribed in states with low incidence of LD or during non-summer months were also more likely to be non-standard, a trend which likely reflects misdiagnosis or overtreatment of LD. Future studies are needed to further define prescriber and patient factors associated with non-standard LD treatment and related adverse outcomes. Disclosures All Authors: No reported disclosures


2018 ◽  
Vol 39 (5) ◽  
pp. 584-589 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael J. Durkin ◽  
S. Reza Jafarzadeh ◽  
Kevin Hsueh ◽  
Ya Haddy Sallah ◽  
Kiraat D. Munshi ◽  
...  

OBJECTIVETo characterize trends in outpatient antibiotic prescriptions in the United StatesDESIGNRetrospective ecological and temporal trend study evaluating outpatient antibiotic prescriptions from 2013 to 2015SETTINGNational administrative claims data from a pharmacy benefits manager PARTICIPANTS. Prescription pharmacy beneficiaries from Express Scripts Holding CompanyMEASUREMENTSAnnual and seasonal percent change in antibiotic prescriptionsRESULTSApproximately 98 million outpatient antibiotic prescriptions were filled by 39 million insurance beneficiaries during the 3-year study period. The most commonly prescribed antibiotics were azithromycin, amoxicillin, amoxicillin/clavulanate, ciprofloxacin, and cephalexin. No significant changes in individual or overall annual antibiotic prescribing rates were found during the study period. Significant seasonal variation was observed, with antibiotics being 42% more likely to be prescribed during February than September (peak-to-trough ratio [PTTR], 1.42; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.39–1.61). Similar seasonal trends were found for azithromycin (PTTR, 2.46; 95% CI, 2.44–3.47), amoxicillin (PTTR, 1.52; 95% CI, 1.42–1.89), and amoxicillin/clavulanate (PTTR, 1.78; 95% CI, 1.68–2.29).CONCLUSIONSThis study demonstrates that annual national outpatient antibiotic prescribing practices remained unchanged during our study period. Furthermore, seasonal peaks in antibiotics generally used to treat viral upper respiratory tract infections remained unchanged during cold and influenza season. These results suggest that inappropriate prescribing of antibiotics remains widespread, despite the concurrent release of several guideline-based best practices intended to reduce inappropriate antibiotic consumption; however, further research linking national outpatient antibiotic prescriptions to associated medical conditions is needed to confirm these findings.Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2018;39:584–589


2020 ◽  
Vol 71 (8) ◽  
pp. e226-e234 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alison C Tribble ◽  
Brian R Lee ◽  
Kelly B Flett ◽  
Lori K Handy ◽  
Jeffrey S Gerber ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Studies estimate that 30%–50% of antibiotics prescribed for hospitalized patients are inappropriate, but pediatric data are limited. Characterization of inappropriate prescribing practices for children is needed to guide pediatric antimicrobial stewardship. Methods Cross-sectional analysis of antibiotic prescribing at 32 children’s hospitals in the United States. Subjects included hospitalized children with ≥ 1 antibiotic order at 8:00 am on 1 day per calendar quarter, over 6 quarters (quarter 3 2016–quarter 4 2017). Antimicrobial stewardship program (ASP) physicians and/or pharmacists used a standardized survey to collect data on antibiotic orders and evaluate appropriateness. The primary outcome was the percentage of antibiotics prescribed for infectious use that were classified as suboptimal, defined as inappropriate or needing modification. Results Of 34 927 children hospitalized on survey days, 12 213 (35.0%) had ≥ 1 active antibiotic order. Among 11 784 patients receiving antibiotics for infectious use, 25.9% were prescribed ≥ 1 suboptimal antibiotic. Of the 17 110 antibiotic orders prescribed for infectious use, 21.0% were considered suboptimal. Most common reasons for inappropriate use were bug–drug mismatch (27.7%), surgical prophylaxis > 24 hours (17.7%), overly broad empiric therapy (11.2%), and unnecessary treatment (11.0%). The majority of recommended modifications were to stop (44.7%) or narrow (19.7%) the drug. ASPs would not have routinely reviewed 46.1% of suboptimal orders. Conclusions Across 32 children’s hospitals, approximately 1 in 3 hospitalized children are receiving 1 or more antibiotics at any given time. One-quarter of these children are receiving suboptimal therapy, and nearly half of suboptimal use is not captured by current ASP practices.


2017 ◽  
Vol 78 (2) ◽  
pp. 109-117 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher Okunseri ◽  
Cheng Zheng ◽  
Cory Neil Steinmetz ◽  
Elaye Okunseri ◽  
Aniko Szabo

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