US Prescription trends of antihistamines for atopic dermatitis, 2011-2016

Antihistamine use for primary treatment of atopic dermatitis (AD) is not recommended, but current guidelines state that sedating antihistamines are favored over non-sedating antihistamines for relief of burdensome pruritus. We analyzed the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey data to compare use of antihistamines between dermatologists and non-dermatologists. Overall, dermatologists are more likely to prescribe sedating than non-sedating antihistamines when compared to non-dermatologists (P < .001, δ_abs  = 0.45). Patients under 21 years old (P = .03, δ_abs  = 0.10) and Black patients (P < .001, δ_abs  = 0.19) were also more likely to receive sedating antihistamines than non-sedating antihistamines. These findings highlight the differential prescribing practices for atopic dermatitis among physicians.