Abuse of antibiotics. A study of patients attending a university clinic.

Self-treatment with antibiotics was evaluated among patients at a university health service in an 18-month period. Sixty-two students ingested antibiotics, usually tetracycline (40%) or penicillin (21%), for varying intervals before seeking medical care. Respiratory symptoms were the most common reason (40%). The most frequent drug source was residual medication obtained by prescription from a private physician for a prior illness (43%). Although self-therapy was of short duration, the negative bacteriologic cultures obtained on our evaluation in all but four patients challenged precise diagnosis. The findings indicate that inappropriate use of antibiotics by patients would be curtailed by prescribing only the exact amount needed for a given illness and by emphasizing the need for completion of the course of therapy.