Pediatric Medication Prescribing Across Urgent Care Visits: An Epidemiologic View from a Primary Care Setting in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Background

Urgent care clinics (UCCs) embedded within primary healthcare settings play a vital role in managing acute, non-life-threatening conditions in children. However, limited data exist on medication prescribing patterns in such settings in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), particularly regarding antibiotic use. This study aimed to describe the epidemiology of pediatric urgent care visits and identify factors associated with prescribing within a model primary healthcare (PHC) center.

Methods

A retrospective chart review was conducted for all urgent care visits made by pediatric patients (<14 years) at a model PHC center in the KSA for all visits in 2024. Sociodemographic variables, visit timing, diagnosis, and prescription data were extracted from electronic health records. Multivariable logistic regression was used to analyze predictors of medication prescribing.

Results

Of the 1016 pediatric urgent care visits, 62.5% resulted in medication prescriptions, and 23.62% of those visits included at least one antibiotic, primarily penicillins (71.33%). Cephalosporins and tetracyclines were not prescribed. Prescriptions were 67% more likely among adolescents and 70% less likely among infants when compared to school-aged children (95% CI = 1.04-2.67 and 95% CI = 0.15-0.61, respectively). Respiratory and ENT-related diagnoses accounted for most prescriptions. No significant sex-based differences in prescribing were observed.

Conclusions

The epidemiological patterns observed indicate that respiratory and ENT conditions, as well as seasonal peaks in autumn and winter, are the main drivers of prescribing in pediatric urgent care. These findings have implications for strengthening disease surveillance, anticipating service demand, guiding preventive interventions such as vaccination and health education, and supporting evidence-based planning of primary care resources.