A new study warns that young people are being prescribed antibiotics too often, even when they don’t need them, increasing the risk of antibiotic resistance.
Researchers from the University of Manchester found that doctors frequently give antibiotics for infections without properly assessing the risk of complications. Their analysis of 15.7 million patient records showed that younger patients were more likely to receive antibiotics, while older patients—who might actually need them more—were often left without.
Key findings from the study:
Older patients were 31% less likely to receive antibiotics for upper respiratory infections compared to younger patients.
Patients with multiple health conditions were 7% less likely to receive antibiotics than healthier individuals.
Antibiotic prescriptions for lower respiratory and urinary tract infections were not linked to hospital admission risks.
Prescribing antibiotics for upper respiratory infections was only weakly linked to hospital admission risks.
Lead researcher Professor Tjeerd van Staa emphasized that overprescribing antibiotics can lead to antimicrobial resistance (AMR), which is a major global health threat.
Dr. Ali Fahmi urged doctors to focus on risk-based prescribing and avoid giving antibiotics for mild infections that typically clear up on their own.
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