NOTE: This type of review does not cover the situation in which the wrong antibiotic was selected to treat a condition for which an antibiotic would be indicated.
Reasons for prescription of unnecessary antibiotics:
(1) The provider did not realize that the disease is not responsive to antibiotics (for example, viral pharyngitis).
(2) The provider overestimated the risk of a complication.
(3) The provider was not experienced in handling the particular condition or the type of patient.
(4) The provider thought that the patient expected a prescription (and did not want to spend the time saying why one was not necessary).
(5) The provider is practicing defensive medicine.
(6) It was just easier and/or faster to write the prescription than to take any alternative course. This is more likely to occur when encounters are required to be short.
(7) There was some form of direct or indirect incentive to write the prescription.
Complications from the unnecessary use of antibiotics:
(1) increased cost with no real benefit
(2) risk of generating antibiotic-resistant bacteria
(3) risk of adverse drug side effects
