Dermatology antibiotic prescription trends
Facts at your fingertips
By Emily Margosian, assistant editor, November 1, 2019
As antibiotic resistance has increasingly captured the attention of the media and global health organizations, physicians have found themselves under more pressure to monitor their antibiotic prescription habits. Although overall antibiotic prescribing by dermatologists decreased by 36.6% between 2008 and 2016 (largely the result of cutbacks in extended antibiotic courses for acne and rosacea), oral antibiotic use associated with dermatologic surgical visits increased by 69.6% within that same time frame (JAMA Dermatol. 2019; 155(3): 290-297). For a breakdown of changes in dermatologic antibiotic use by procedure type, see the chart below.
