AJAmy J. Mathers

1. Article · Sep 5, 2026 · By Amy J. Mathers, University of Virginia

   ‘Must I take all my antibiotics?’ Why infectious disease experts are rethinking this longstanding rule (opens the original)

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   You've probably heard it for years, every time you get a prescription for antibiotics: "Make sure to take all the pills." Traditionally, clinicians have given two reasons for these strict instructions: So the infection doesn't come back, and so you don't end up with bugs so hearty that antibiotics can't kill them. MORE: Who should get flu, COVID or RSV shots this fall? Here's what medical groups recommend But these days, clinicians like me are starting to rethink this approach. As a physician sp

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2. Article · Aug 28, 2026 · Amy J. Mathers

   ‘Must I take all my antibiotics?’ Why infectious disease experts are rethinking this longstanding rule (opens the original)

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   You’ve probably heard it for years, every time you get a prescription for antibiotics: “Make sure to take all the pills.” Traditionally, clinicians have given two reasons for these strict instructions: So the infection doesn’t come back, and so you don’t end up with bugs so hearty that antibiotics can’t kill them. But these days, clinicians like me are starting to rethink this approach. As a physician specializing in infectious diseases and the medical director of the the University of Virginia’

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