Previous antibiotic-related adverse drug reactions do not reduce expectations for antibiotic treatment of upper respiratory tract infections.

Background: Patients' expectations may influence prescribers' decisions about antibiotic prescribing for upper respiratory tract infection (URTI). We examined whether a history of an antibiotic related adverse drug reaction (aADR) influenced a person's perception about the safety of antibiotics or their expectation of receiving an antibiotic prescription for an URTI.

Methods: We developed a questionnaire and surveyed 103 hospital inpatients, 38 of whom (37%) reported past experience of aADR.