WHEN it comes to prescribing antibiotics , doctors are in a jam. Giving them too often risks perpetuating the development of resistance to these drugs in bacteria. That is a serious threat to society . But withholding them is also risky. If the decision is wrong, a patient could develop a life-threatening infection.

Even if the doctor is right, this decision often upsets people. I have heard stories of medics being threatened with everything from bad online reviews to physical …