What is ‘good doctoring’ when antibiotic resistance is a global threat?

Abstract

This chapter presents results from an exploratory enquiry into ‘good doctoring’ in the case of antibiotic prescribing. Drawing on 21 in-depth interviews with Danish general practitioners (GPs) about diagnosing and prescribing, the chapter demonstrates how GPs manage dilemmas in clinical practice if and when decisions about antibiotic prescriptions cannot be based on facts about molecular conditions. In this light, the chapter identifies how GPs understand and evaluate jurisdictional boundaries, that is, how they control and apply their expert knowledge in regard to the public health issue of antibiotic resistance. This chapter contributes insights into new jurisdictional tasks in a risky environment and concludes that the broader external forces of global antimicrobial resistance must be seen as shaping medical practice in the locations of primary care.