Utilization of West Virginia Pediatric Medicaid Claims Data to Guide Outpatient Antimicrobial Stewardship Interventions

West Virginia consistently ranks in the top two nationally for per capita antibiotic prescription rates in both pediatric and adult outpatient populations. We present the first descriptive analysis evaluating outpatient prescription rates within the WV pediatric Medicaid population, which demonstrated significant antibiotic prescribing variability by provider type, specialty, and geography. WV faces unique care barriers in many regions, notably sparse provider density in rural areas. Antibiotics are frequently prescribed to children on WV Medicaid. Stewardship intervention should focus on non-physician, non-pediatric providers in WVMR 4, the most rural area of the state.