“Paul” was sick with COVID-19 and starting to have trouble breathing. But when he went to the local emergency department (ED) on a Friday evening, they turned him away because they didn’t have any more beds. As a last resort, he went to De Queen Health and Wellness Pharmacy in De Queen, AR, where he heard he could get treatment.

As health care providers know, overuse of antibiotics is associated with a host of problems—from intestinal infections and other adverse effects to the development of resistant strains of bacteria. However, “delayed prescribing” promises to temper this trend.