Parents in the USA use antibiotics for viral conjunctivis even though they know it is useless.

[TNOA forum]

Parents More Likely to Use Abx for 'Pink Eye' vs 'Eye Infection'

Use of label 'pink eye' linked to increased intent to use antibiotics despite their ineffectiveness

Use of the label "pink eye" versus "eye infection" is associated with increased parent intent to use antibiotics despite parents being informed about antibiotics' ineffectiveness for treating symptoms, according to a study published online Aug. 20 in Clinical Pediatrics.

FRIDAY, Aug. 28, 2015 (HealthDay News) -- Use of the label "pink eye" versus "eye infection" is associated with increased parent intent to use antibiotics despite parents being informed about antibiotics' ineffectiveness for treating symptoms, according to a study published online Aug. 20 in Clinical Pediatrics.

Laura D. Scherer, Ph.D., from the University of Missouri in Columbia, and colleagues examined the effect of the label "pink eye" on parents' intent to use antibiotics and perceived contagiousness. Parents responded to a clinical vignette that described a child with symptoms consistent with acute viral conjunctivitis.