Recently, my 2 year old daughter had a fever for couple of days. The doctor we consulted has over 20 years of clinical experience, so naturally, there was a certain level of trust. What followed left me genuinely shocked. He diagnosed it as a viral fever and, in the same breath, prescribed an antibiotic. For a moment, I wondered if I had misheard him. Viral fever… antibiotics. From a doctor with decades of practice. That single prescription said more about the state of our medical decision-making than any medical journal ever could.
Walk into a clinic with a sore throat, mild fever, or a cough that started yesterday, and there’s a good chance you’ll walk out with a prescription that includes antibiotics. No tests, no culture, no confirmation — just faith. Because why wait for a diagnosis when we have Azithromycin, the modern cure-all?
Welcome to a world where antibiotics are treated less like serious medical tools and more like paracetamol with better branding.
The Fastest Diagnosis: “Let’s Start Antibiotics”
In many cases, the diagnostic process goes something like this:
- Patient: “Doctor, I have fever.”
- Doctor: “How many days?”
- Patient: “Two.”
- Doctor: writes prescription “Start antibiotics.”
Neither blood work. Nor throat swab. Not even an explanation of whether the infection is viral or bacterial. Just “start it, we’ll see.” Because clearly, the human body cannot be trusted to fight anything on its own anymore.
Viral, Bacterial — Same Same, Different Names
Most common illnesses — colds, flu, sore throats — are viral. Antibiotics do absolutely nothing against viruses. This is basic medical knowledge, not a secret buried in research journals.
Yet antibiotics are prescribed anyway. Why?
- To meet patient expectations
- To avoid follow-up visits
- Mostly to “play safe”
- To finish the consultation quickly
Ironically, this so-called safety is exactly what makes the practice dangerous.
The Silent Side Effect: Antibiotic Resistance
Here’s the part that doesn’t come with the prescription slip.
Every unnecessary antibiotic dose teaches bacteria how to survive. Over time, this creates antibiotic-resistant superbugs — infections that no longer respond to standard treatment. When antibiotics actually are needed, they fail.
This isn’t a future problem. It’s already happening. Infections are becoming harder, costlier, and sometimes impossible to treat — all because antibiotics were handed out casually for years.
The “Just in Case” Culture
Prescribing antibiotics “just in case” sounds responsible until you realize it’s like:
- Taking chemotherapy “just in case” you might get cancer
- Using a fire extinguisher daily “just in case” there’s a fire
Antibiotics are not harmless. They disrupt gut health, weaken immunity, cause allergic reactions, and increase long-term health risks — all without solving the original viral problem.
Patients Aren’t Innocent Either
Let’s be honest — many patients demand antibiotics.
“If you don’t give antibiotics, what am I paying for?”
“If it worked last time, give it again.”
“Doctor, I need to recover fast.”
This pressure pushes doctors toward convenience over correctness. But medical decisions shouldn’t be customer service gestures.
What Responsible Prescribing Looks Like
Good medicine isn’t dramatic. It’s often boring:
- Proper history taking
- Waiting when waiting is appropriate
- Tests when needed
- Explaining why antibiotics are not required
Yes, it takes more time. Yes, it requires better communication. But it protects both the patient and public health.
Final Dose of Reality
Antibiotics are one of the greatest medical discoveries in history. Treating them like shortcuts, placebo reassurances, or routine add-ons is how we lose them.
The next time antibiotics stop working when we truly need them, we won’t be able to say we didn’t see it coming. We wrote this story ourselves — one unnecessary prescription at a time.
Not every illness needs antibiotics.
Sometimes, the best prescription is patience and proper diagnosis.
For those who care, my daughter is doing well and we didn’t give antibiotics, some patience and right consultation helped us.
