Have a cold? Fever? Sinus infection? Your primary care provider might not give you a prescription for an antibiotic. Here’s why.
By Lara Setti, MD, MPH
In the past, antibiotics were commonly prescribed for many ailments, and sick patients were often reassured by having a prescription in hand. However, medicine is evolving, and antibiotics do not cure certain types of ailments and infections.
Overexposure to antibiotics over time can cause antibiotic resistance, a dangerous condition when these medications are needed. This can mean that when you truly need an antibiotic the treatment options available may be less effective or not work at all. In fact, reducing antibiotic resistance is now a national public health priority.
In 2022, the CDC shared interesting data about outpatient antibiotic prescriptions. To view that data, click here.
- In 2022, U.S. outpatient providers prescribed 236.4 million antibiotic prescriptions, most often azithromycin and amoxicillin.
- These comprised 7 prescriptions for every 10 people in the outpatient setting.
- At least 28% of these outpatient antibiotic prescriptions are unnecessary. Additional studies have found that, in some communities, up to 50% of antibiotic prescriptions are not appropriate.
- The CDC estimates more than 2.8 million antibiotic-resistant infections occur in the U.S. each year and result in approximately 35,000 deaths. To read about antibiotic resistance, click here.
Bacteria vs. Virus
Some sicknesses are caused by bacteria, which generally call for an antibiotic. Examples include strep throat, a urinary tract infection, or bacterial pneumonia. Viruses like the flu and the common cold are different, and antibiotics don’t work against them. Usually, viral illnesses get better on their own.
When antibiotics are used too often or for the wrong reasons, they may not help when a real bacterial illness makes you sick. This makes bacterial infections more dangerous and harder to treat. This is a big reason why doctors are now more careful about when to prescribe antibiotics. So, as a patient, what can you do if you have a viral infection?
- Ask questions: whether your provider does or doesn’t prescribe an antibiotic, you should always feel free to ask why.
- Ask if your provider has alternative remedy suggestions to treat symptoms.
- Drink water, rest, eat well, and take care of yourself.
- Do your best to avoid passing your virus on to others. If you are sick, wearing a mask when you are physically close to other people can help.
- Wash your hands often!
As we know very well, vaccines can protect against viruses like influenza, pertussis (whooping cough), certain types of pneumonia, COVID-19, and many other non-respiratory infections. So, get vaccinated to protect yourself, your family, and your community!
At CHP, we take the appropriate use of antibiotics very seriously as we keep in mind the best treatment options for each patient, family and for our community. Using evidence-based treatment guidelines, we recommend medications and non-prescription treatments based on the latest available science. We all try our best to communicate when antibiotics are or are not needed, but if you still have questions, please ask.
While we all want quick relief when we are feeling sick, our medical team strives to consider what is the best medical treatment in both the short and long term.
By using antibiotics wisely, we can help keep them working for everyone. Let’s all do our part to fight antibiotic resistance and stay healthy!