[silisili]

Even in the US, pre COVID, every time I went to to doctor with a bad cold/flu, they'd just give you a Z Pak(antibiotics) and say...if it's bacterial this will kill it, if it's viral it'll work itself out. So I can definitely see how they're overprescribed.

[zw7]

Z-pak (azithromycin) is not the recommended antibiotic for bacterial sinus infections nor pneumonia (common bacterial infections associated with upper respiratory infections) per most guidelines. Interestingly though, it does have anti-inflammatory properties in addition to its main antibacterial effect. When I see a clinician prescribe a Z-pak (urgent cares are notorious for having a low threshold for prescribing Z-paks), part of me wonders if it's to avoid overuse and potential resistance to appropriate antibiotics and placate patients who want a quick fix.

The downside is that since they feel better from the anti-inflammatory effect, its supports their initial thought they needed antibiotics and in the future will always think they need them, even though they very likely only have a viral infection.

[christkv]

In Spain its either amoxicillin or the Amoxicillin and Clavulanic Acid combination.

[ziml77]

Those are what I've gotten in the US for sinus infections.

[seunosewa]

They are cheaper than the tests to determine whether they're needed.

[mschuster91]

And yet, people will demand an antibiotic from their doctor even with a test showing it's viral. Partially because school science ed doesn't cover that topic at all, partially because of "folk tales" aka learning from parents who didn't know better, partially because of placebo effect... and ultimately, because people want/need to feel better soon because they can't afford being too sick to work or having to take care for sick children.

In the end it dwarfs against antibiotics in agriculture anyway, but if we want to fix the issue of antibiotic overusage on humans, we need to completely re-think our relationship to work and sickness.