Nearly Half of Deferred Antibiotic Prescriptions Were Never Collected from the Pharmacy
Published
According to information published by the outlet Demócrata, nearly half of the antibiotic prescriptions that had been deferred were never dispensed. This result is striking because it shows that many people did not complete the process planned for their treatment.
Deferred prescribing is a practice in which the doctor prescribes an antibiotic, but the patient does not collect it from the pharmacy right away. Instead, they wait a few days to see whether their symptoms improve without taking the medication. If the situation does not improve, they can go to the pharmacy and obtain the antibiotic with the prescription they already have. This strategy aims to reduce the unnecessary use of antibiotics.
Excessive or incorrect use of these medicines is one of the most important public health problems, because it favours the emergence of resistant bacteria. Antibiotics are only effective against infections caused by bacteria, and they do not work for treating colds or most flu cases. For this reason, experts recommend taking them only when a healthcare professional indicates it.
The available information indicates that deferred prescribing may be useful for reducing antibiotic consumption, although the lack of dispensing of many prescriptions raises questions about how this type of treatment is managed. For patients, the basic recommendation is to consult their doctor or pharmacist if they have doubts about how and when to use an antibiotic.
Sources: Demócrata
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