Perilous Pills

View Original

Could Telehealth Be Driving Antibiotic Misuse?

The National Health Service in the U.K. said there was a 270% increase in telephone appointments in the first five months of national lockdown in 2020 and that antibiotic prescribing rates were higher during remote medical consultations compared to in-person appointments, as reported in The Lancet Infectious Diseases. In the same article, Lancet also noted that there is growing concern that COVID-19 might be contributing to antimicrobial resistance. There was evidence that 70% of patients with COVID-19 receive antibiotics when conditions don’t indicate a need for them.