Hitting up a doctor for antibiotics in the afternoon increases the likelihood of getting one, reports HealthDay, which uncovered this prescribing habit in a research letter published in JAMA Internal Medicine.
Researchers found the prescribing trend by sifting through data related to 21,867 visits to 23 doctors by adults with acute respiratory infections during a 17-month time period and discovered that 5% more patients received antibiotics at the end of the clinical session compared to patients who arrived at the start of the beginning.
Author Jeffrey Linder told HealthDay that doctors get worn down as the day goes on, and that possible solutions to increasing prescribing consistency may include shorter sessions, more breaks, “or even snacks.”
