How is "antibiotic misuse" defined?

Antibiotic misuse is defined as the inappropriate use of antibiotics for conditions they cannot effectively treat, which includes the prescribing of antibiotics for viral infections where they are not needed. This form of misuse contributes to antibiotic resistance, as well as adverse patient outcomes, by exposing patients to unnecessary side effects and disrupting their normal microbiota without providing therapeutic benefits.

Using antibiotics excessively for bacterial infections is not the precise definition of misuse; rather, it aligns more with the concept of overuse. Similarly, the indiscriminate use of broad-spectrum antibiotics in all cases could be considered a form of inappropriate practice, but it does not capture the full scope of misuse relevant to conditions that do not require antibiotics at all. Correctly applying antibiotics for viral infections would not constitute a misuse because antibiotics are ineffective against viruses and their use in such scenarios is inherently inappropriate. Thus, the most accurate definition points to the inappropriate application of antibiotics for conditions they do not treat, highlighting the need for discernment in antibiotic prescribing practices.