Prescribing with purpose: Why antibiotics aren't always the fix
12/18/2025 by Kelsey Jensen, Pharm.D., and Ryan Stevens, Pharm.D.
Antimicrobial stewardship is a term that means “using antibiotics wisely.” Antibiotics are medicines that fight bacteria but do not work against viruses like the ones that cause most colds, sinus infections and ear infections. In 2025, antibiotics will remain an essential part of healthcare. However, when clinicians prescribe antibiotics for illnesses that aren’t caused by bacteria, these medications don’t help and can even be harmful.
Why this matters
Taking antibiotics when they are not needed can lead to antibiotic resistance. That’s when bacteria learn to fight back against the medicine, making future infections much harder to treat. This doesn’t just affect the person taking the drug — it affects everyone in our communities, as resistant bacteria can spread and make common diseases dangerous again.
For individual patients, unnecessary antibiotics can cause side effects like stomach problems, allergic reactions, or even more serious issues. More importantly, antibiotics won’t make a viral infection resolve faster, so taking them in these cases only adds risk without any benefit.
Clinicians have a responsibility to protect both their patients and the community. By prescribing antibiotics when they’re truly necessary, they safeguard your health and ensure these medicines will still work, for both you and others, in the future.
So next time your clinician provides recommendations to treat your symptoms but says, “no antibiotics needed,” they’re not brushing you off. They’re practicing smart medicine with your well-being in mind.
Kelsey Jensen, Pharm.D., is an antimicrobial stewardship pharmacist at Mayo Clinic Health System in Minnesota. She is the pharmacist co-chair of the outpatient antimicrobial stewardship program for the Mayo Clinic Enterprise. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling and watching baseball.
Ryan Stevens, Pharm.D., is an infectious diseases pharmacist in the Department of Pharmacy in Rochester, Minnesota. He is the pharmacist co-chair of the outpatient antimicrobial stewardship program for the Mayo Clinic Enterprise. In his spare time, he enjoys fishing, spending time with family and riding horses.