Patients seeking care at urgent care centers are much more likely to be prescribed antibiotics for conditions that do not require them than those seeking care at other ambulatory care settings, according to findings published in JAMA Internal Medicine.

“Antibiotic use contributes to antibiotic resistance and is associated with adverse events,” Danielle L. Palms, MPH, from the CDC, and colleagues wrote. “Antibiotic overuse, especially for viral respiratory infections, is common. Only 60% of outpatient antibiotic prescriptions dispensed in the United States are written in traditional ambulatory care settings and EDs. Growing markets, including urgent care centers and retail clinics, may contribute to the remaining 40%.”