Amid Superbug Scourge, Study Finds 1 in 3 Antibiotic Prescriptions Unnecessary

July 24, 2024 | admin

(COMMON DREAMS) Andrea Germanos, May 5, 2016 — New findings published Tuesday shed more light on the rising problem of “superbugs,” or antibiotic-resistant microbes, showing that at least 30 percent of antibiotics prescribed in the United States are unnecessary.

Modern Healthcare describes the analysis as “the first detailed look at all antibiotic prescribing throughout the country.”

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in collaboration with Pew Charitable Trusts and other public health and medical experts, used data from the 2010–2011 National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey and the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey, and identified “47 million excess prescriptions.”

Thirty percent of the 154 million prescriptions for antibiotics given at doctors’ offices and emergency departments were wrong, the study found. That’s because most were prescribed for respiratory conditions caused by viruses, such as sinus and ear infections, which do not respond to antibiotics.

Source:

Related Articles

Health, Legislation

MSCC Collected Letters Of Support For Chris Marte’s Health Care Bill 1096-2024

Read More
Health, Legislation

Bill 1096-2024: A Stab At Corporate And Governing Collusion

Read More
Health

I Was a Health Insurance Executive. What I Saw Made Me Quit

Read More

Make NYC a better place –
sign up for our newsletter!