Acute pharyngitis is one of the most common complaints that a physician encounters in the ambulatory care setting, accounting for approximately 12 million visits annually or 1 to 2% of all ambulatory care visits annually. Typically, the incidence peaks during childhood and adolescents and accounts for 50% of all visits annually. Although there are a large number of visits each year for pharyngitis, the majority of these cases are viral and are self-limiting. However, Group A Streptococcus (GAS) is the most common bacterial etiology for acute pharyngitis and accounts for 5 to 15% of all adult cases and 20 to 30% of all pediatric cases.