People are filling fewer antibiotic prescriptions, particularly for children, according to national data from the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association.
Claims data showed a 9 percent decline in the rate at which antibiotic prescriptions were filled, from 2010 to 2016. It comes as public health officials and advocates have worked to educate the public about antibiotic resistance and so-called “superbugs” that are resistant to many commonly prescribed antibiotic prescriptions.
The biggest drop came in antibiotic use among children: there were 16 percent fewer prescriptions filled for kids, and 22 percent fewer prescriptions filled for infants. In adults, prescription rates dropped 6 percent.
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