Which Doctors Are More Likely to Overuse Antibiotics?

Antibiotic misuse occurs everywhere in medical practice, but it is most difficult to control in the outpatient setting. Studies show that some physicians write far more antibiotic prescriptions for common colds and other viral illnesses than do other physicians (NEJM JW Gen Med Mar 15 2016 and Lancet 2016; 387:1743), but reasons behind these practice differences are largely speculative. In this retrospective analysis, researchers in Ontario reviewed billing and claims data for older adults (age, >65) who sought care during 2012 for acute respiratory illnesses. Immunocompromised patients and those deemed likely to have bacterial infections were excluded.

Of 185,000 patients, 85,500 (46%) were prescribed antibiotics, including 32% of those wit…