The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) safety program for improving antibiotic use: antibiotic stewardship intervention in 389 United States ambulatory practices during the COVID-19 pandemic
Total antibiotic prescribing declined by 9 prescriptions/100 visits (95% CI: -10 to -8). ARI visits/practice-month declined significantly in March-May 2020, then increased but remained below baseline by program end (Figure 2). ARI-related antibiotic prescriptions decreased by 15/100 ARI visits by program end (95% CI: -17 to -12). The greatest reduction was in penicillin class prescriptions with a reduction of 7/100 ARI visits by program end (95% CI: -9 to -6). During the COVID-19 pandemic, a national ambulatory AS program was associated with declines in overall and ARI-related antibiotic prescribing.
Keller S, Caballero T, Tamma P, Miller M, Dullabh P, Ahn R, Shah S, Gao Y, Speck K, Cosgrove S, Linder J. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) safety program for improving antibiotic use: antibiotic stewardship intervention in 389 United States ambulatory practices during the COVID-19 pandemic. Open Forum Infectious Diseases. 2021; 8: S97