28% of US adults misrepresent symptoms to get antibiotics, study finds

Adults Fabricate Cold Symptoms to Secure Unneeded Antibiotics

About 28% of American adults have misrepresented their symptoms to healthcare providers to obtain unnecessary antibiotic prescriptions, according to data published in JAMA Network Open. Researchers analyzed survey responses from 959 adults and found that patients routinely exaggerated illness duration, manufactured fake symptoms, or both. The study reveals that 65.7% of these deceptions involved common cold symptoms like coughs and sore throats, which are typically viral and unresponsive to antibacterial drugs. Live Science reported that roughly 27% of children’s caregivers also admitted to using similar tactics to secure prescriptions for pediatric patients.

The surveys, conducted in January and February 2026 by a team led by Alistair Thorpe at the University of Utah, highlight a major communication breakdown in outpatient care. Participants in the adult survey reported that 77% of their dubious requests successfully resulted in a prescription, while 87% of caregivers claimed the same outcome. Ars Technica noted that clinicians frequently yielded to these demands despite the lack of bacterial indicators.

Motivations Behind Misrepresentation and Clinical Pressure

Patients surveyed by the University of Utah team cited severe discomfort, the belief that antibiotics represent the only viable cure, and the urgent pressure to return to work and daily responsibilities as primary drivers for their dishonesty. CIDRAP reported that respondents also wanted to retain personal autonomy in medical decision-making. Gizmodo noted that younger adults aged 18 to 33, individuals who believed doctors ignored their symptoms, and those skeptical of antibiotic resistance exhibited higher rates of symptom fabrication.

This persistent overuse accelerates the global crisis of antimicrobial resistance. Drug-resistant infections are linked to more than a million deaths annually, a figure projected to approach 2 million per year by 2050. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recorded roughly 9.7 million drug-resistant bacterial and fungal infections in the United States in 2023, rising significantly from 2.8 million in 2017. Strains resistant to standard treatments now include methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), certain types of E. coli, and pathogens responsible for tuberculosis and gonorrhea.

Providers must maintain rigorous stewardship standards

Investigators stress that providers must maintain rigorous stewardship standards regardless of patient deception. Thorpe stated that clinicians are obligated to act in the best interest of the patient even when faced with falsehoods or resistance. Hospitals and outpatient facilities face mounting pressure as common bacterial infections adapt to standard therapies, forcing medical teams to rely on stronger, more expensive, or more toxic alternatives.

Patients admit to exaggerating symptom duration

What specific types of falsehoods did participants tell their doctors?

Respondents admitted to exaggerating symptom duration, such as claiming a cough lasted two weeks instead of one, or completely fabricating conditions like a fever. Over half of those who misrepresented their health status utilized both exaggeration and fabrication.

How many people participated in the pediatric caregiver survey?

The separate pediatric analysis evaluated responses from 236 parents and guardians, finding that 26.7% had misrepresented a child’s symptoms to secure antibiotics.

Did patients express remorse after deceiving their physicians?

Fewer than one-third of respondents who lied to obtain drugs reported any regret, with those who did expressing concern over side effects, treatment inefficacy, or the moral implications of dishonesty.