Guideline / position statementindependent cross-checkabstract checked I-ABX-129 standard review
CDC: 1 in 3 US outpatient antibiotic prescriptions unnecessary
CDC: 1 in 3 antibiotic prescriptions unnecessary (press release, 3 May 2016).
Overview
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. CDC Online Newsroom (archived) 2016
CDC estimated 47 million unnecessary prescriptions a year, mostly for viral respiratory illnesses.
Does the study support the specific claim? Yes · Methodological quality: high
Plain-language summary
Study explained simply
- What did the researchers want to find out?
Announce US overprescribing estimate
- How was the study done?
Press release on national survey study
- How many people, animals or samples were studied?
Not applicable
- What was actually found?
At least 30% unnecessary; 47 million per year
- How large was the observed effect?
47 million
- What do the results mean in everyday life?
Antibiotics are often given when they cannot help
- What are the study's limitations?
US 2010-2011 only
- What does it say about Elawady's specific claim?
Confirms the claim
- Do the results apply to Germany and Europe?
Low
- What can explicitly not be concluded from this study?
Rates in Europe or Egypt
Scientific in-depth review
1. Full reference
- Authors
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- Journal
- CDC Online Newsroom (archived)
- Year
- 2016
- Identifier
- Verification
- verified – Archived CDC page fetched (curl) 2026-10-26
- Retracted
- no
- Corrections
none noted
- Extent checked
- abstract only
- Conflicts of interest and funding
US government agency.
2. Research question
How many US outpatient antibiotic prescriptions are unnecessary?
3. Study design and population
- Study design
- Guideline / position statement – Agency press release on the Fleming-Dutra JAMA study
- Population
US outpatients
- Country
USA
- Period
2010-2011 data
- Sample size
not applicable
- Inclusion and exclusion criteria
not applicable
4. Methods and endpoints
- Exposure / intervention
Outpatient antibiotic prescribing
- Comparator
Guideline-based appropriate prescribing
- Endpoints
Unnecessary prescriptions
- Statistical methods
not applicable
5. Actual results
- Results
'At least 30 percent of antibiotics prescribed in the United States are unnecessary'; 'most of these unnecessary antibiotics are prescribed for respiratory conditions caused by viruses - including common colds, viral sore throats, bronchitis, and sinus and ear infections'; 'These 47 million excess prescriptions each year put patients at needless risk for allergic reactions or the sometimes deadly diarrhea, Clostridium difficile.'
- Absolute risks
47 million excess prescriptions per year
- Authors' conclusion
Outpatient stewardship is needed to reduce unnecessary prescribing.
6. Strengths
- Primary agency statement by the study's authors' institution
7. Weaknesses
- Press release; methods in the JAMA paper
8. Risk of bias
- Orienting tool
- none applicable
- Type of assessment
- simplified assessment (abstract only)
- Full formal assessment
- no
- Overall risk of bias
- not assessable
- Rationale
Agency statement.
9. Assessment of the statistical interpretation
47 million is consistent with 153 excess per 1000 in a population of about 307 million (recalculated).
10. Relevance to the specific claim
Verifies the 47 million figure and 'mostly viral respiratory' wording of the claim.
11. Independent contrary findings
US data only.
12. Transferability to Germany and Europe
Low (US).
13. Overall methodological judgement
Confirms the archive's figures.
| Multidimensional assessment | |
|---|---|
| Authenticity of the source | verified |
| Methodological quality | high |
| Risk of bias | not assessable |
| Precision of results | not applicable |
| Directness | direct |
| Reproducibility | replicated |
| Consistency with the overall evidence | consistent |
| Regional transferability | low |
| Adequacy of the interpretation (by the archive) | not applicable |
14. Open questions
None.