Doctors in US incorrectly prescribe antibiotics in nearly a third of cases

Study finds more than half of US population receives prescription annually and estimates 'inappropriate' prescriptions in doctor's office setting at up to 30%

Nearly one-third of Americans prescribed antibiotics during doctor's office visits probably should not have received the drugs, were not given a long enough course or did not get the right dose, according to new research.

The new study into how doctors prescribe antibiotics to Americans in outpatient settings comes as rates of antibiotic resistant bacterial infections are on the rise. Up to 23,000 Americans die and 2 million more become sick due to antibiotic resistant bacteria each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and scientists have found rates of such infections on the rise.