Broad-spectrum antibiotics used to treat bacteria decline by five percent
DES MOINES, IA (Sept. 12, 2017) – The rate at which outpatient antibiotic prescriptions were filled declined two percent among Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield commercially insured members, compared to nine percent nationally from 2010 through 2016, according to a new study by the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association (BCBSA). Data also show Wellmark members filled five percent less broad-spectrum antibiotics, used to treat a wide range of bacteria, compared to a 13 percent decline nationally.
Pediatricians have led the way in curtailing antibiotics, with prescriptions filled for children dropping nine percent in Iowa. Nationally, prescriptions filled for children dropped 16 percent, and newborns and infants (up to one year old) declined 22 percent.
The report, “Antibiotic Prescription Fill Rates Declining in the U.S.,” represents a comprehensive study of outpatient medical claims from Blue Cross and Blue Shield (BCBS) members who filled antibiotics over a seven-year period.
Within Iowa, there was a noticeable variation in the rate of antibiotic prescriptions filled in different cities across the state (metropolitan statistical areas):
