Inappropriate Prescribing Can Cause Patient Harm

Two new reports from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows the danger of overprescribing antibiotics and narcotics to patients, ProPublica reports. In ProPublica's interview with Dr. Thomas Frieden, the CDC's director, he said that attempts by government to address overprescribing don't attack doctors' autonomy: "We're not saying tell doctors what to do and not to do. We’re not saying treat this way. We’re saying make explicit your reasoning and set up your protocol, as long as it’s evidence-based. What we’re basically saying is we need to reduce unwarranted variability. So, come up with an algorithm, come up with a protocol, and then stick to it unless you have a valid and documented reason to depart from it. I don’t think that undermines physician autonomy at all. I think that empowers doctors to make a considered evidence-based decision on what their policy will be as a general rule and then to increase the likelihood that that policy is followed for all of their patients."