No progress seen in reducing antibiotics among outpatients

Despite public health campaigns aimed at reducing unnecessary prescriptions for antibiotics, the drugs continue to be prescribed at startlingly high rates in outpatient settings, according to a new study. The researchers found that 98 million outpatient antibiotic prescriptions were filled by 39 million people from 2013 to 2015. Moreover, the researchers found no decline in the overall antibiotic prescription rate during that time.