Publications by authors named "Mary Beckerson"
Description of national antibiotic prescribing rates in U.S. long-term care facilities, 2013-2021.
Antimicrob Steward Healthc Epidemiol
November 2024
Article Synopsis
- Long-term care pharmacy data from 2013 to 2021 was analyzed to assess antibiotic prescribing trends in U.S. facilities.
- The study found that overall antibiotic prescribing rates decreased during this period, with significant reductions in the use of fluoroquinolones and macrolides.
- Monitoring antibiotic usage in long-term care can reveal chances to improve how these medications are prescribed.
Background: Trends in prescribing for nursing home (NH) residents, which may have been influenced by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, have not been characterized.
Methods: Long-term care pharmacy data from 1944 US NHs were used to evaluate trends in prescribing of antibiotics and drugs that were investigated for COVID-19 treatment, including hydroxychloroquine, famotidine, and dexamethasone. To account for seasonal variability in antibiotic prescribing and decreased NH occupancy during the pandemic, monthly prevalence of residents with a prescription dispensed per 1000 residents serviced was calculated from January to October and compared as relative percent change from 2019 to 2020.