‘Must I take all my antibiotics?’ Why infectious disease experts are rethinking this longstanding rule

Medical experts are rethinking the long-standing rule that patients must finish every pill in an antibiotic prescription to prevent drug resistance. As The Conversation tells it, the idea that stopping a course early breeds resistant bacteria was based on a misconception, as resistance is actually driven by overall antibiotic exposure rather than shortened courses. While doctors are now prescribing shorter durations to protect the body's microbiome, they still advise patients to follow specific prescriptions because some infections require longer treatment to avoid relapse.

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