Nonprescription Antimicrobial Use in the U.S.

Nonprescription antimicrobial use, one of the drivers of emerging antibiotic resistance, is common in many countries. To assess the magnitude of the problem in the U.S., researchers in Houston, Texas, distributed a self-administered standardized survey to a race/ethnicity-stratified random sample of patients at three primary care clinics (1 private, 2 public) that serve ethnically and socioeconomically diverse populations. Surveys were completed in the clinics' waiting rooms.

Of 400 people surveyed (a 94% response rate), 25% were willing to use antibiotics without contacting a doctor, nurse, or hospital beforehand; 5% had taken nonprescribed antibiotics in the past year; and 14% stored antibiotics at home. Of 22 nonprescription courses ident…