Key facts
- Over 25% of people have lied to a clinician to get antibiotics.
- Lies often involved exaggerating or fabricating symptoms of viral infections like colds.
- 77% of adult patients and 87% of caregivers reported their lies were successful in obtaining prescriptions.
- Misrepresenting cold-related symptoms was the most common falsehood.
- Drug-resistant bacteria and fungi cause 9.7 million infections and 50,800 deaths in the US annually.
Two new studies published in JAMA Network Open reveal that over a quarter of adults in the US have lied to clinicians to obtain antibiotics, often for conditions that do not require them. Researchers found that patients frequently exaggerated or fabricated symptoms of viral infections, such as colds, despite antibiotics being ineffective against viruses. These dishonest tactics were often successful, with a high percentage of patients and caregivers reporting that their lies led to obtaining prescriptions. The findings raise concerns about antibiotic resistance and the erosion of trust between patients and healthcare providers.