Reply To: Resistance to antibiotics

In my own family I refuse to give antibiotics for viral infections.
But patients insist on it
Look up the percentages of sinus infections that are bacterial in cause, its a small percentage. Yet every patient “Thinks” you need antibiotics for it (or they read it on the internet, or their friends told them that) I caution and advise against it, but if after all my caution the patient insists I give the prescription because I don’t want to lose the business.
I read an article years ago that certain countries actually have strict rules where a doctor can lose their license if they give antibiotics except for under explicit conditions, and that resistance was less of an issue in those countries. Whether that still applies,I don’t know.
It’s the responsibility of both patient and doctor.
And frankly, the government is dropping the ball. Because they should institute strict policies. If you research the number of deaths in the US per year from antibiotic resistance, you will see that resistance is a major public health hazard.