Multiple surveys report that roughly one quarter to nearly one third of U.S. adults say they exaggerate or make up symptoms to try to obtain antibiotics from doctors for themselves or their children. The reported motivations include wanting to feel better quickly and needing to return to work or school.
The outlets also emphasise that these “faked” or exaggerated symptoms may still be linked to infections that antibiotics cannot treat, such as illnesses caused by viruses. This creates a mismatch between what patients try to achieve—receiving treatment—and what antibiotics can actually address.
While the headline figures vary slightly between sources, all point to the same underlying behaviour: patients misrepresent symptoms during medical visits in hopes of receiving antibiotic prescriptions, including when seeking care for children.
