How to manage unrealistic antibiotic expectations
Sometimes patients who are feeling ill don’t want to leave the exam room without a prescription. Schmuel Chencinski, MD, writes in Practice Pearls that by having a simple conversation with patients before the exam, he’s often able to preempt requests for unnecessary antibiotics.
Chencinski explains upfront that if the patient has a viral infection, they must not treat it with antibiotics because doing so could be hazardous. Following this explanation, patients are usually more receptive to leaving without a prescription if that’s what it turns out to be.
Read more Practice Pearls from your colleagues in FPM. Got a Pearl you’d like to share? Comment below or send it to FPM.
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