Update on outpatient antibiotic prescribing during the COVID-19 pandemic: United States, 2020–2022

The COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted antibiotic prescribing patterns in the US, with outpatient prescribing decreasing significantly in 2020. However, ongoing surveillance suggests continued use of azithromycin for COVID-19 patients, despite guidelines against non-critically ill patients. The total volume of antibiotic prescriptions decreased by 19.4% in 2020, 15.4% in 2021, and 5.5% in 2022. Older adults had the highest quarterly prescribing rates, followed by adults (20-64 yr) and children (0-19 yr). Azithromycin prescriptions, which comprised 96%-97% of macrolide prescriptions, increased by 17% in children from January-March 2021 to October-December 2022.