Why you may not need all those days of antibiotics

We've long prescribed antibiotics out of fear and habit, not science

A recent article in the British Medical Journal set off a bit of a firestorm with its claim that “the antibiotic course has had its day.” The authors challenged the very widespread belief that you should keep taking every last dose of antibiotic prescribed by your physician even after you feel better. This advice has long been claimed to be key to preventing antibiotic resistance.

The challenge to that claim has sparked a backlash, with physicians and public health officials expressing concern about an overly complex message that