At least 30% of antibiotics prescribed in the U.S. are unnecessary, according to new data published May 3 in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) by the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), in collaboration with Pew Charitable Trusts and other public health and medical experts.
The study analyzed antibiotic use in doctors’ offices and emergency departments throughout the U.S.
CDC researchers found that most of these unnecessary antibiotics are prescribed for respiratory conditions caused by viruses — including the common cold, viral sore throat, bronchitis, sinus infections and ear infections — that do not respond to antibiotics. These 47 million excess prescriptions each year put patients at needless risk for allergic reactions or the potentially deadly diarrhea-causing bacteria Clostridium difficile.
The researchers also estimated the rate of inappropriate antibiotic use in adults and children by age and diagnosis.