May 12, 2022
The Wisconsin Health Information Organization (WHIO) is proud to provide InfoByte: Antibiotics Prescriptions in Wisconsin. A recent report by the Centers for Disease Prevention and Control showed that the top 10% of antibiotic prescribers were responsible for 41% of antibiotic prescriptions for Medicare Part D beneficiaries. This InfoByte includes Wisconsin’s “high-volume prescriber” rate to inform policy makers, providers, health plans, employers, and the public.
Antibiotics are powerful drugs used to fight infections caused by bacteria. The overuse of antibiotics gives bacteria a chance to adapt and become “resistant” to antibiotics. People who encounter antibiotic-resistant bacteria can experience severe illness which may require hospitalization and, in some cases, may lead to death.
Antibiotic stewardship includes the use of evidence-based prescribing recommendations to reduce antibiotic overuse and the harmful effects of antibiotic resistance. The WHIO is partnering with the Wisconsin Department of Health Services Antibiotic Stewardship Program to provide reports on the use of antibiotics in Wisconsin.
The WHIO is Wisconsin’s All-Payer Claims Data organization dedicated to better health, health care and health care value in Wisconsin. The WHIO includes data on about 4.9 million insured lives voluntarily contributed by WI insurers, employers, and the Medicaid program.
For more information about the WHIO, please contact us at 608-442-3876 or info@whio.org.