In 1928, the Scottish biologist Alexander Fleming made an accidental discovery.

It turned out to be one of the most revolutionary medical breakthroughs in history, adding

around 20 years to the average human life expectancy across the globe, and may have even

saved your life.

Having discovered penicillin in the early 1940s, it became the world's first mass-produced

antibiotic.

For all of human history before then, even in an industrial nation like the United States,

a simple cut could be a death sentence if it got infected.

Diseases like pneumonia also killed.

Often, there simply was no cure until antibiotics came along.

These invaluable products of microorganisms have been responsible for saving millions

of human lives.

Pioneers in a struggle which promises now to drive back that ancient enemy disease.

If only the story of antibiotics ended on that high note.

Because of evolution, the bacteria that cause disease are a moving target.

When confronted with a threat, in this case antibiotics, they evolve to resist these drugs.

And when we overuse antibiotics, we encourage that resistance.

The more humanity has leaned on antibiotics in our war against disease, the less effective

they have become.

So just how much do physicians lean on these drugs?

These that I and others have done show that at least 30% if not up to about 50% of antibiotics

prescribed in the United States in outpatient practice are either for not a good reason

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