Are You an Antibiotic Overprescriber?

Viral upper respiratory infections far outnumber bacterial upper respiratory infections, and antibiotics should not be prescribed for viral infections. Most doctors know these facts, but that doesn't mean they act accordingly. Researchers examined antibiotic prescribing habits in the Veterans Affairs system using medical records (2005–2012) on more than 1 million visits to primary care, urgent care, and emergency room settings for complaints that indicated upper respiratory infections. Patients with comorbid conditions that might raise risk for serious bacterial infections (e.g., diabetes, HIV infection, other causes of immunocompromise) were excluded.

Antibiotics were prescribed in more than two thirds of visits overall; this proportion ros…