Changes in the Appropriateness of US Outpatient Antibiotic Prescribing After the COVID-19 Outbreak: An Interrupted Time Series Analysis of 2016–2021 Data

Kao Ping Chua*, Michael A. Fischer, Moshiur Rahman, Jeffrey A. Linder

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

3 Scopus citations

Abstract

Background. No national study has evaluated changes in the appropriateness of US outpatient antibiotic prescribing across all conditions and age groups after the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak in March 2020. Methods. This was an interrupted time series analysis of Optum’s de-identified Clinformatics Data Mart Database, a national commercial and Medicare Advantage claims database. Analyses included prescriptions for antibiotics dispensed to children and adults enrolled during each month during 2017–2021. For each prescription, we applied our previously developed antibiotic appropriateness classification scheme to International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision, Clinical Modification diagnosis codes on medical claims occurring on or during the 3 days prior to dispensing. Outcomes included the monthly proportion of antibiotic prescriptions that were inappropriate and the monthly proportion of enrollees with ≥1 inappropriate prescription. Using segmented regression models, we assessed for level and slope changes in outcomes in March 2020. Results. Analyses included 37 566 581 enrollees, of whom 19 154 059 (51.0%) were female. The proportion of enrollees with ≥1 inappropriate prescription decreased in March 2020 (level decrease: −0.80 percentage points [95% confidence interval {CI}, −1.09% to −.51%]) and subsequently increased (slope increase: 0.02 percentage points per month [95% CI, .01%–.03%]), partly because overall antibiotic dispensing rebounded and partly because the proportion of antibiotic prescriptions that were inappropriate increased (slope increase: 0.11 percentage points per month [95% CI, .04%–.18%]). In December 2021, the proportion of enrollees with ≥1 inappropriate prescription equaled the corresponding proportion in December 2019. Conclusions. Despite an initial decline, the proportion of enrollees exposed to inappropriate antibiotics returned to baseline levels by December 2021. Findings underscore the continued importance of outpatient antibiotic stewardship initiatives.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)312-320
Number of pages9
JournalClinical Infectious Diseases
Volume79
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - Aug 15 2024

Funding

Financial support. K.-P. C. is supported by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (grant numbers R01DA056438-01, R01DA057284-01, and K08DA048110-05). J. A. L. is supported by the National Institute on Aging (grant numbers P30AG059988, R01AG069762, R01AG074245, P30AG024968, R01AG070054, R33AG057395, and R24AG064025) and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (grant numbers R01HS026506 and R01HS028127).

Keywords

  • antibiotic stewardship
  • antibiotics
  • COVID-19
  • prescription drugs
  • quality

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Microbiology (medical)
  • Infectious Diseases

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