More than a quarter of Americans have exaggerated or invented symptoms in an attempt to get antibiotics from a doctor, according to a study reported by HealthDay on November 2, 2026. The research, published October 30 in JAMA Network Open, surveyed nearly 1,000 U.S. adults about attempts to obtain antibiotics for themselves, and 236 parents or caregivers about attempts for a sick child. About 28 percent of adults said they had deliberately misrepresented symptoms to get antibiotics for themselves, and 27 percent said they had done so for a child, according to the report. Lead researcher Alistair Thorpe, a research assistant professor of population health sciences at the University of Utah, said the main reason given was that people felt very sick and believed antibiotics were the only treatment that would work. Health experts caution that antibiotics do not treat viral infections and that unnecessary use contributes to antibiotic resistance. The findings point to a need for clearer conversations between patients and clinicians about when antibiotics help, what alternatives exist, and why a prescription is sometimes not the right answer.