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The following is a summary of “Patterns in prescribing and dispensing of influenza antivirals among adults with influenza presenting to urgent care and emergency department settings, VISION Network, 2023–2024,” published in the April 2025 issue of Clinical Infectious Diseases by Adams et al. 

Researchers conducted a retrospective study to describe prescribing and dispensing patterns of influenza antivirals among individuals with laboratory-confirmed influenza treated in U.S urgent care and emergency department settings.   

They analyzed adult encounters with acute respiratory illness and confirmed influenza across 4 large health systems in the VISION network during the 2023–2024 influenza season. The study focused on individuals at increased risk due to older age, severe obesity, or underlying conditions and estimated the proportions and odds of antiviral prescriptions and dispensing based on clinical and demographic factors.   

The results showed that 10,700 patient encounters met inclusion criteria, with 5,231 having positive standard molecular influenza test results. Among these, 58% received antiviral prescriptions (range: 47–64%), and 67% were prescribed on the same day. Of the 3,050 prescribed antivirals, 80% were dispensed (range: 75–91%), and 65% were dispensed on the prescription date. Individuals aged ≥65 years had lower odds of same-day prescribing (0.57 [95% CI: 0.42–0.78]) and same-day dispensing (0.58 [95% CI: 0.36–0.94]) compared to those aged 18–49 years.   

Investigators concluded that gaps in antiviral treatment within urgent care and emergency department settings had remained for patients at higher risk of influenza complications, particularly older adults (OAs), suggesting that strategies to improve earlier treatment initiation might have helped reduce the risk of influenza-associated complications. 

Source: academic.oup.com/cid/advance-article/doi/10.1093/cid/ciaf178/8106466