In another JAMA study published today, kids with sore throats are often prescribed unnecessary or incorrect antibiotics.

The problem may stem from the inaccurate assumption that every sore throat is strep throat. JAMA reports that of the children with sore throats who seek medical treatment, no more than a third actually have strep. The bacterial infection seems to have become a catch phrase for any throat ailment.

Prescribing the wrong medication can not only complicate treatment of the current illness, but may also increase a child's resistance to drugs. This problem can be easily avoided if doctors test for strep throat prior to writing a prescription. J. Todd Weber, MD, director of the CDC's Office of Antimicrobial Resistance, says: “If we are going to get serious about preserving the effectiveness of [antibiotics] we have to employ the tests we have, and we don’t have many, that can reliably determine if the drugs are needed.” [via WebMD]

If taking an herbal route to healing, slippery elm and licorice can be helpful in soothing sore throats.