Antibiotics Aren't Always the Answer

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Understand inappropriate antibiotic use. 
Inappropriate antibiotic use can refer to two types of antibiotic misues: when an antibiotic is prescribed, but not needed or when the wrong antibiotic, dose, or duration is chosen.

Unnecessary Use/Overuse
Example: A 40-year-old woman is diagnosed with bronchitis and prescribed an antibiotic, even though national guidelines recommend against prescribing antibiotics for bronchitis.

Misuse/Incorrect Prescription
Example: An 8-year-old boy is diagnosed with strep throat and needs an antibiotic to treat it, but the antibiotic prescribed is the wrong one, or the close is too low, or the duration is too long.