Prescribing antibiotics when they aren’t needed is still a problem

Most doctors think inappropriate antibiotic prescribing and the superbug resistance it causes are serious national problems, but not as many of them think their own practices contribute to it, according to a survey from Pew and the AMA that found 60% of respondents believe they prescribe antibiotics more appropriately than their peers. A majority of internal medicine doctors also ranked obesity, diabetes, smoking, and opioid misuse higher than antibiotic resistance as far as impact on patients and daily practice while pediatricians put it third, behind obesity and vaccine hesitancy. Almost three-quarters say stewardship programs are necessary to reduce antibiotic resistance, but almost half said they would need “a lot of help” to implement stewardship interventions in their own practice.

https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/issue-briefs/2020/08/national-survey-reveals-barriers-to-outpatient-antibiotic-stewardship-efforts?utm_source=STAT+Newsletters&utm_campaign=ff490ed371-MR_COPY_13&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_8cab1d7961-ff490ed371-149692869