Between 1997 and 2010, the 8191 sampled sore throat visits represented 92 million estimated visits by adults to primary care practices and EDs in the United States (Table). Sore throat visits decreased from 7.5% of primary care visits in 1997 to 4.3% of visits in 2010 (P = .006). There was no change in the proportion of sore throat visits to EDs: 2.2% in 1997 and 2.3% in 2010 (P = .18). Physicians prescribed antibiotics at 60% of visits (95% CI, 57%-63%). The overall national antibiotic prescribing rate did not change (Figure). Penicillin prescribing remained stable at 9% of visits. Azithromycin prescribing increased from below the threshold of reliable measurement in the 1997-1998 measurement period to 15% of visits in the 2009-2010 period.