Personally, I take antibiotics whenever they are prescribed to me by a physician, and I am pretty diligent in making sure that I take the entire course. Before a tonsillectomy, I often got strep throat multiple times a year, and each time I was prescribed a course of antibiotics. Generally, I tend to trust my physicians, as they have gone through extensive training and education, and I try to follow their advice as closely as I can. However, among many physicians there is a growing concern about the over-prescription of antibiotics. Just today I shadowed a physician who was wary about the negative consequences associated with the over-prescription of antibiotics, and even she said that there are some infections for which an antibiotic regimen is unavoidable (i.e. urinary tract infections). When contemplating whether or not to take antibiotics, it is important to weigh both the pros and cons of the treatment, and also to consider the negative consequences of neglecting to follow a physician’s recommended course of treatment.
