Conservative Antibiotic Use is Prudent

The over-prescription, over-use, and wrong-use of antibiotics have helped fuel the epidemic of antibiotic resistance. Less, more conservative use of these drugs would be prudent. Using antibiotics when they are not needed not only fuels resistance, but is costly and can have a negative impact on the normal human bacterial microbiome. In general, all medications should be used appropriately and not indiscriminately used in cases where there would be little to no benefit (or even harm).

For uncomplicated respiratory infections, strategies that delay the patient’s pick-up or use of antibiotics can result in less antibiotic use with equal satisfaction, according to a new study.

Patients who had to go pick up their prescriptions from the primary care office or who delayed taking the antibiotics experienced slightly greater symptoms for a slightly longer time during their illness than people who got antibiotics immediately, but all groups had similar satisfaction levels.

Most respiratory infections, like pharyngitis or bronchitis, are caused by viruses, not bacteria, and antibiotics do not modify the infections significantly. But most patients with symptoms of these infections still receive an antibiotic in the U.S., the authors write.

Using antibiotics when they do little to help puts the patient at risk of unnecessary side effects and helps make the targeted bacteria resistant to the drugs.