Urgent Care Often Hands Out Inappropriate Prescriptions, Study Finds

Follow Drugslib on

By Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter

Medically reviewed by Drugs.com

via HealthDay

WEDNESDAY, July 23, 2025 — Urgent care clinics are handing out fistfuls of antibiotics, steroids and opioids for conditions these drugs won’t help, a new study says.

"Previous studies had shown that patients continue to receive antibiotics for diagnoses where they may not be indicated, such as for a viral respiratory infection, especially in urgent care settings,” said co-lead researcher Dr. Shirley Cohen-Mekelburg, an assistant professor of internal medicine at the University of Michigan Medical School.

“Our findings reveal that this trend of inappropriate prescribing includes other classes of drugs — including glucocorticoids — and a variety of conditions,” Cohen-Mekelburg added in a news release.

For the study, published July 22 in the Annals of Internal Medicine, researchers analyzed health care data for more than 22.4 million urgent care visits that occurred between 2018 and 2022.

More than 12% of those visits resulted in a prescription for antibiotics, 9% in a steroid prescription and 1% in a scrip for opioids.

The research team then looked to see how many prescriptions were handed out for health conditions the drugs aren’t meant to treat.

Among the inappropriate prescriptions, researchers found:

  • Antibiotics prescribed for more than 30% of patients with ear infections, nearly 46% of patients with urinary symptoms and 15% of patients with bronchitis.
  • Steroids prescribed for nearly 24% of patients with a sinus infection, 41% of patients with bronchitis and 12% of patients with upper respiratory infections.
  • Opioids prescribed for nearly 5% of patients with muscle pain, more than 6% of patients with abdominal pain or GI symptoms and 4% of patients with sprains or strains.

    • These results jibe with recent studies showing that urgent care is the most common type of health care visit to result in inappropriate prescriptions for antibiotics to treat viral respiratory infections, researchers said.

    The drugs are likely being handed out because the urgent care staff doesn’t know better, patients are demanding specific meds and no one is providing back-up support for decisions about prescribing, researchers said.

    The consequences may be far-reaching: Antibiotic-resistant bacteria like MRSA have become a growing threat to health, due to the overuse of antibiotics.

    Likewise, America’s opioid crisis has been fueled by too many painkiller prescriptions doled out for dicey reasons.

    Researchers concluded that drug stewardship programs are needed to make sure urgent care clinics are handing out the right drugs for the right conditions.

    “Reducing inappropriate prescribing of antibiotics, glucocorticoids and opioids will require a multifaceted approach,” Cohen-Mekelburg said. “Providers at urgent centers would benefit from greater support and feedback in making these decisions.”

    Sources

  • University of Michigan, news release, July 21, 2025
  • Annals of Internal Medicine, July 21, 2025

    • Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.

    Source: HealthDay

    Posted : 2025-07-24 00:00

    Read more

    Disclaimer

    Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided by Drugslib.com is accurate, up-to-date, and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. Drug information contained herein may be time sensitive. Drugslib.com information has been compiled for use by healthcare practitioners and consumers in the United States and therefore Drugslib.com does not warrant that uses outside of the United States are appropriate, unless specifically indicated otherwise. Drugslib.com's drug information does not endorse drugs, diagnose patients or recommend therapy. Drugslib.com's drug information is an informational resource designed to assist licensed healthcare practitioners in caring for their patients and/or to serve consumers viewing this service as a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise, skill, knowledge and judgment of healthcare practitioners.

    The absence of a warning for a given drug or drug combination in no way should be construed to indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective or appropriate for any given patient. Drugslib.com does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the aid of information Drugslib.com provides. The information contained herein is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. If you have questions about the drugs you are taking, check with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.

    Popular Keywords