Exploring Antibiotic Utilization in Assisted Living: Identifying Opportunities for Improvement

Overuse and misuse of antibiotics are major threats to public health, and the focus of national efforts to improve the quality of antibiotic prescribing in all health care settings, including assisted living facilities (ALFs). Understanding the frequency and patterns of antibiotic use is a necessary step toward improving the safety of antibiotic use in ALFs. The few studies of antibiotic use in ALFs have predominantly focused on the frequency of antibiotic starts and the process of antibiotic ordering in these facilities.