1958. Assessment of Guideline-Concordant Antimicrobial Prescribing in Urgent Care Centers

BACKGROUND: In the United States in 2014, 266 million outpatient antibiotic prescriptions were dispensed. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 30% of outpatient antibiotic prescriptions are inappropriate. These inappropriate prescriptions contribute to increased resistance, adverse events, and healthcare costs. METHODS: This was a retrospective study of patients presenting to 22 urgent care centers within a large healthcare system between September 1, 2018 and February 28, 2019. Data were collected from a dashboard designed to track antimicrobial prescribing data by indication, location, and provider. ICD-9 and -10 codes associated with otitis media, pharyngitis, sinusitis, cystitis, and upper respiratory infections (URI) were included. Guideline-concordant antimicrobial prescribing was determined based on compliance with national guideline recommendations, after taking patient allergies into account. The URI category includes disease states in which antimicrobials are rarely appropriate (e.g., acute rhinitis, nasopharyngitis, and acute bronchitis). RESULTS: A total of 57,799 encounters were included in this analysis (19,242 pediatric and 38,557 adult) and 60% of patients received an antibiotic prescription. Overall antimicrobial guideline concordance was higher in pediatrics (84%) than adults (62%). Rates of guideline-concordant antimicrobial selection are shown in Table 1. The most common guideline-discordant prescriptions were tetracyclines (39%), amoxicillin/clavulanate (26%), and macrolides (17%) in adult patients with sinusitis, pharyngitis, or otitis media. In pediatric patients, the most common discordant prescriptions were macrolides (32%), third-generation cephalosporins (30%), and amoxicillin/clavulanate (19%). Unnecessary antimicrobial prescribing for URI occurred in 23% of pediatric patients and 36% of adult patients. CONCLUSION: Guideline-discordant antimicrobial prescribing is common in urgent care centers, particularly in adult patients. In addition to encouraging utilization of order sets, emphasis on education and feedback may be important to improve and sustain guideline-concordant prescribing rates and reduce prescribing for URI. [Image: see text] DISCLOSURES: All Authors: No reported Disclosures.