Overprescribing of antibiotics is one of the main driving factors of antibiotic resistance — which is on the rise and could lead to a post-antibiotic era in the 21st century — but patients do not understand the risks of overprescribing antibiotics and the effect it can have on antibiotic-resistance and the state of healthcare as a whole, according to a recent survey.
Researchers from George Washington, Cornell and Johns Hopkins universities asked 113 hospital patients about their understanding of antibiotics. They found patients want antibiotics and figure taking the medication won't make their condition worse, and also patients do not see the risk of taking unnecessary antibiotics as outweighing the possible positive effects.
"More than half of the patients we surveyed knew that antibiotics don't work against viruses, but they still agreed with taking antibiotics just in case," said David Broniatowski, assistant professor in GW's School of Engineering and Applied Science. "We need to fight fire with fire. If patients believe that antibiotics can't hurt, we can't just focus on telling them that they probably have a virus. We need to let them know that antibiotics can have some pretty bad side effects and that they will definitely not help cure a viral infection."
The truth is, taking unnecessary antibiotics can have negative effects on patient health in addition to the overall state of antibiotic resistance. For instance, patients who take unnecessary antibiotics could develop secondary infections and allergic reactions.