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One potential obstacle to good antimicrobial prescribing is a lack of knowledge.  However, this study from West Bengal in India found that although doctors had good knowledge regarding antibiotic prescribing, they scored poorly when asked about their actual prescribing practices.  This reminds us that information alone may not be sufficient to change practice.  Diagnostic uncertaintly, difficulties following up patients and "safety netting", and patient expectations may all play a role in the final decision to prescribe.

The full text is freely available online at https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0217818