Pitfalls in antibiotic prescribing and how to avoid them

Errors in antibiotic prescribing occur due to either a failure to understand basic antibiotic prescribing principles or through incorrect management decisions. The most common example of the former is prescribing antibiotics when they are not needed and the most common management error is failing to investigate prior to treatment. Other common management errors are outlined in the article. Avoidance of these pitfalls in antibiotic prescribing will improve patient care and reduce the likelihood of selecting for resistant strains in common pathogens.