Nonprescription Antibiotic Use Is Common in the US

Use of antibiotics without a prescription is common in the US, according to the results of a recent study.

Researchers from Baylor College of Medicine conducted a scoping review including data from 31 studies reporting nonprescription use of antibiotics, storage of antibiotics, and factors influencing nonprescription use of antibiotics.

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Overall, they found that, depending on population characteristics, the prevalence of nonprescription antibiotic use varied from 1% to 66%. Further, storage of antibiotics for potential future use varied from 14% to 48% and the prevalence of intention to use antibiotics without a prescription was 25%.

Nonprescription antibiotics were obtained from local stores obtaining the drugs internationally for under-the-counter sales, family and friends, and from personal previously-prescribed courses. Factors contributing to nonprescription use including difficulty accessing the health care system, cost of physician visits, waiting periods for treatment, and transportation issues.

“Nonprescription antibiotic use is a seemingly prevalent and understudied public health problem in the United States. An increased understanding of risk factors and pathways that are amenable to intervention is essential to decrease this unsafe practice.”

—Michael Potts

Reference:

Grigoryan L, Germanos G, Zoorob R, et al. Use of antibiotics without a prescription in the u.s. population: a scoping review [published online July 23, 2019]. Ann Intern Med. DOI: 10.7326/M19-0505.