From the Research
Healthcare providers should not self-prescribe antibiotics. While technically legal in some jurisdictions, self-prescribing creates significant ethical and clinical concerns. Without objective assessment, providers may misdiagnose their condition, choose inappropriate antibiotics, use incorrect dosages, or fail to complete the full course. Common antibiotics like amoxicillin, azithromycin, and ciprofloxacin require proper diagnosis to determine if they're indicated and at what dose and duration. Self-prescribing bypasses important safeguards like allergy checks, drug interaction reviews, and documentation in medical records. Additionally, inappropriate antibiotic use contributes to antibiotic resistance, a major public health concern, as highlighted in a study published in 2024 1.
According to the most recent and highest quality study, healthcare providers experiencing symptoms should instead seek care from an independent clinician who can provide objective assessment and appropriate treatment 1. This ensures proper diagnosis, treatment, and documentation while maintaining professional boundaries and ethical standards of care. The study also notes that prescribing to acquaintances or oneself is undesirable, especially because it is often not possible to maintain sufficient professional distance, necessary to provide proper treatment.
Some key points to consider include:
- Self-prescribing antibiotics can lead to misdiagnosis, inappropriate treatment, and antibiotic resistance
- Healthcare providers should seek care from an independent clinician to ensure objective assessment and appropriate treatment
- Inappropriate antibiotic use contributes to antibiotic resistance, a major public health concern
- Self-prescribing bypasses important safeguards like allergy checks, drug interaction reviews, and documentation in medical records
As noted in another study, self-medication with antibiotics is associated with the risk of inappropriate drug use, which predisposes patients to drug interactions, masking symptoms of an underlying disease, and development of microbial resistance 2. Therefore, it is essential for healthcare providers to prioritize proper diagnosis, treatment, and documentation, and to maintain professional boundaries and ethical standards of care.