Published in IJCP January 2019
American Family Physician
Practice Guidelines
January 14, 2019 | Practice Guidelines
     


Approximately one-half of outpatient antibiotic prescriptions may be inappropriate or unnecessary, imposing high economic and public health costs. The American College of Physicians (ACP) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guideline on appropriate antibiotic use in the treatment of healthy adults with acute respiratory tract infection outlines one of the medical community’s top priorities. Currently, most antibiotics prescribed in the office setting are for illnesses in this category, despite evidence that they may cause harm or otherwise do not benefit patients with some of the most common infections.