Overview

• A cross-sectional analysis of 22.4 million U.S. urgent care visits from 2018 to 2022 found that 12.4 percent led to antibiotic fills, 9.1 percent to glucocorticoid scripts and 1.3 percent to opioid scripts.
• Antibiotics were prescribed for 30.7 percent of otitis media cases, 45.7 percent of genitourinary symptom visits and 15.0 percent of acute bronchitis encounters despite never being appropriate.
• Glucocorticoids were dispensed in 23.9 percent of sinusitis visits and 40.8 percent of acute bronchitis cases classified as generally inappropriate.
• Opioid prescriptions persisted in 6.3 percent of abdominal pain visits and in notable shares of non-back musculoskeletal pain and sprain or strain encounters without clinical indication.
• Researchers attribute the misuse to clinician knowledge gaps, patient pressure and limited decision support and call for stewardship programs, EHR enhancements and targeted education.