Doctors feel pressured to prescribe antibiotics to satisfy patients

The study analysed records from 7,800 general practices, mostly in England.

“Many patients come in asking for antibiotics when they have viral infections such as colds, coughs, sore throats, or the ‘flu, but antibiotics cannot treat viruses. GPs often feel pressured by patients to prescribe antibiotics and find it difficult to refuse a patient who asks for them,” said lead author of the study Mark Ashworth from King’s College, London. The inappropriate use and prescribing of antibiotics is contributing to the development of resistant bacteria.

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“These findings suggest that practices that try to help prevent the spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria by prescribing fewer antibiotics are likely to experience a drop in their satisfaction ratings,” Ashworth noted.

The findings of this study are consistent with previous small-scale studies that found patients who did not receive antibiotics were much more likely to express dissatisfaction, the researchers said.

The study was published in the British Journal of General Practice.