I am very careful about giving antibiotics to patients who clearly have a viral cold or sore throat. An experienced physician told me that prescribing amoxicillin and/or azithromycin simply to placate these patients does no harm. I disagree. Am I wrong?—CHRYSTYNE OLIVIERI, FNP-BC, Smithtown, N.Y.
You are not wrong. One only has to look at the massive amount of data on antibiotic resistance to realize the seriousness of this issue. As if increased resistance is not enough, there are frequently significant allergic risks and interactions with other medications to consider. I would suggest gently referring your physician to the CDC’s Web site on this topic (www.cdc.gov/drugresistance/).—Sherril Sego, FNP-C, DNP (141-1)
