Impact of a pilot multimodal intervention to decrease antibiotic use for respiratory infections in a geriatric clinic.

Background: More than 80% of antibiotics are prescribed in the outpatient setting, of which 30% are inappropriate. The National Action Plan for Combating Antimicrobial Resistance called for a 50% decrease in outpatient antibiotic use by 2020. Inappropriate antibiotics are associated with adverse reactions and infection, especially among older adults.