Antibiotic Prescribing Practices for Upper Respiratory Tract Infections Among Primary Care Providers: A Descriptive Study 

Most antibiotics are prescribed in the ambulatory setting with estimates that up to 50% of use is inappropriate. Understanding factors associated with antibiotic misuse is essential to advancing better stewardship in this setting. We sought to assess the frequency of unnecessary antibiotic use for upper respiratory infections (URIs) among primary care providers and identify patient and provider characteristics associated with misuse.

Although higher-volume practices, a rural setting, or longer time in practice were predictors, unnecessary prescribing was common among all providers.