Does Patient Demand Affect the Physicians’ Decision to Prescribe Antibiotics in Emergency Departments? A Survey Study

Although the history of antibiotics is not very old, antibiotic resistance has already become a major problem that threatens human health worldwide. According to data of the World Health Organization, if no preventive measures are taken, by 2050, 10 million deaths may be attributable to antimicrobial resistance all around the world (1). Despite previous reports showing the “slowly emerging disaster” related to antibiotic resistance, there is evidence of continuing overprescription (2). A 2013 report by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development has identified the countries with the highest antibiotic consumption rate: Turkey is in the first place with a defined daily dose of 42.2 per 1,000 people, followed by Greece, France, and Italy (3).