Overall antibiotic prescribing among dermatologists fell between 2008-16, but postoperative antibiotic prescriptions increased, according to a study published in JAMA Dermatology.
For the study, researchers examined commercial claims data for nearly 985,866 courses of oral antibiotics prescribed by 11,986 dermatologists.
Researchers found antibiotic prescriptions fell 36.6 percent between 2008-16, which equates to about 500,000 fewer prescriptions annually. A decline in extended antibiotic courses prescribed for acne and rosacea fueled this decrease. During the same time period, use of antibiotics after surgical visits increased 69.6 percent.
"Overall, our findings are hopefully a sign that we're making progress, but we need to evaluate how we can optimize the use of antibiotics in dermatologic surgery," John Barbieri, MD, a dermatology research fellow at Philadelphia-based Penn Medicine, said in a press release.