Gaps In Antiviral Treatment Within Urgent Care, ED Settings Remain For Patients At Higher Risk Of Influenza Complications, Study Finds

Infectious Disease Advisor (6/25, Basilio) reports a study published in Clinical Infectious Diseases found that “strategies to promote earlier initiation of antiviral treatment may help close treatment gaps and reduce risk for complications among high-risk patients with influenza across urgent care and emergency department (ED) settings.” Researchers observed that “patient encounters at urgent care centers were associated with significantly lower prescribing rates than those at EDs and those at both EDs and urgent care centers. However, patient encounters at urgent care centers exhibited significantly higher confirmed dispensing rates compared with those in ED settings.” Furthermore, researchers “noted the highest prescription rate in patients aged 65 years and older (63%) and the highest dispensing rate in those aged 50 to 64 years (85%). They also noted prescribing and dispensing patterns significantly differed by race and ethnicity, BMI, certain underlying medical conditions, and receipt of the 2023-2024 seasonal influenza vaccine.”