6 Times to Say No to an Antibiotics Prescription (and When You Should Say Yes)

What could be wrong with antibiotics?

Despite all our knowledge that antibiotics don’t kill viruses and the undeniable risk of overuse to public and personal health, doctors routinely prescribe antibiotics when the drugs aren’t necessary, found a recent Consumer Reports survey of 1,000 adults. This can lead to the growth of “superbugs”—bacteria that can’t be controlled even with multiple drugs—and serious consequences. (Learn more about the ten superbugs the World Health Organization is warning everyone about.)

MRSA and other resistant bacteria infect at least two million people in the United States annually, killing at least 23,000. Several major medical organizations, including the American Academy of Family Physicians and the American Academy of Pediatrics, have recently tried to correct antibiotic misuse by explaining when the drugs are and aren’t needed. (Asking these 12 essential questions about antibiotics will guarantee a healthy prescription, too.)

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