Targets and Methods to Improve Outpatient Antibiotic Prescribing for Pediatric Patients

Abstract

Antibiotics are overprescribed for children in outpatient settings, primarily for the diagnosis of acute respiratory tract infections. The overuse of antibiotics leads to antibiotic-resistant infections, avoidable adverse drug events, and chronic inflammatory conditions in children. Decreasing unnecessary antibiotic use is therefore a public health priority. In this article, the authors describe the burden of antibiotic prescribing to children in outpatient settings, identify targets for improvement, and use national recommendations as a guide to describe pragmatic methods to measure and improve antibiotic prescribing for children in outpatient settings.

Keywords: Acute respiratory tract infection; Ambulatory care; Antibacterial agents; Antibiotic stewardship; Child; Drug prescriptions; Drug utilization review; Health Services research.