GoKawiilStudy: Over 25% of patients exaggerate symptoms to obtain antibiotics
Two linked studies in JAMA Network Open, led by Alistair Thorpe at the University of Utah, surveyed over 1,000 US adults and found more than a quarter admitted lying to clinicians to get antibiotics for themselves or a child. Most fabricated or exaggerated cold-like symptoms such as fever, cough, and sore throat—conditions caused by viruses that antibiotics don't treat. The tactic worked often: 77% of adult patients and 87% of caregivers said their deception resulted in a prescription.
GoKawiil's interpretation of the reporting above, not reported fact.
The findings suggest clinicians may be prescribing antibiotics based on unreliable patient reports, which the researchers say poses a problem for antimicrobial stewardship and public health efforts to curb overuse. Widespread unnecessary prescribing could contribute to antibiotic resistance, though the studies do not quantify that downstream effect. The data also hints that doctors may sometimes acquiesce to patient pressure despite clinical guidelines, a dynamic the researchers flag as worth addressing.
- Over 25% of surveyed adults admitted lying to get antibiotics for themselves or a child.
- Most lies involved symptoms like fever, cough, and sore throat—typically viral, not bacterial.
- 77-87% of those who lied said it successfully got them a prescription.
Source: arstechnica.com, 2026-10-30
Published there as: “Over 25% of people lie to get antibiotics—and their lies aren't even good”
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