Ann Intern Med

Inappropriate prescribing remains common in urgent care settings

July 25, 2025

Study details. This cross-sectional analysis used data from visits during 2018–2022 in the MarketScan Commercial and Medicare databases to assess the appropriateness of oral antibiotic, glucocorticoid, and opioid prescriptions. Diagnoses were categorized using Clinical Classifications Software Refined (CCSR), and appropriateness was determined using established criteria.

Results. Among over 22 million urgent care visits, 12.4% resulted in antibiotic prescriptions, 9.1% in glucocorticoids, and 1.3% in opioids. While antibiotics were often appropriate for respiratory infections and UTIs, they were frequently prescribed for conditions where they offer no benefit—such as otitis media (31%), genitourinary symptoms (46%), and acute bronchitis (15%). Glucocorticoids were commonly used inappropriately for upper respiratory infections (12%), sinusitis (24%), and bronchitis (41%). Opioids were also inappropriately prescribed for musculoskeletal pain (4.6%), abdominal complaints (6.3%), and sprains (4.0%). COVID-19 visits saw lower antibiotic but higher glucocorticoid prescribing.

Clinical impact. Urgent care remains a high-risk setting for inappropriate prescribing. These findings highlight the need for targeted stewardship interventions—particularly for glucocorticoids and opioids—to reduce unnecessary medication use and associated harms.

Source:

Cohen-Mekelburg S, et al. (2025, July 22). Ann Intern Med. Antibiotic, Glucocorticoid, and Opioid Prescribing in Urgent Cares: An Opportunity for Reducing Medication Overuse. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40690770/