(KRON) — Nearly one-third of antibiotic prescriptions in the United States are unnecessary, CNN reports.
That is according to a new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
It is the most in-depth study yet of the use and misuse of antibiotics.
The study looked at prescriptions from doctor’s offices, emergency rooms, and hospital-based clinics from 2010 to 2011.
The results mean about 47 million unnecessary prescriptions are written each year in the US.
Health officials have warned about the overuse of antibiotics for decades, saying they boost antibiotic-resistant bacteria.