Wrong treatment of sore throats is fuelling antimicrobial resistance

A doctor examines a patient for sore throat. The vast majority of patients with this symptom do not require antibiotics, but either demand them or are prescribed them anyway, paving the way for AMR. — WHO

In Malaysia, as in many other countries worldwide, there is a growing concern over a silent, yet widespread epidemic caused by the excessive and often inappropriate use of antibiotics.

This issue is particularly evident in the treatment of sore throats, which are usually the result of viral infections and do not require antibiotics.