In another JAMA [1] 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 [2]. 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 [3], MD, director of the CDC's Office of Antimicrobial Resistance [4], 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 [5]]

If taking an herbal route to healing, slippery elm [6] and licorice [7] can be helpful in soothing sore throats.