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Excessive use of antibiotics is expensive and contributes to the emergence of drug resistance. Pressure from patients to receive treatment is thought to be one of the factors leading to antibiotic overprescription. Public health information campaigns have often been used to influence behavior. In a recent trial conducted in northern Italy, researchers investigated whether a relatively low-cost, 5-month information campaign could bring about a decrease in antibiotic prescribing for outpatients, who receive such drugs primarily for upper respiratory tract infections.
The campaign involved posters, brochures, advertisements on local media, and a newsletter about local antibiotic resistance sent to physicians and pharmacists. Physicians helped t…