In Minnesota, doctors confronted by a patient demanding an antibiotic to treat a viral infection now have a new tool at their disposal. The Minnesota Antibiotic Resistance Collaborative (ARC) has distributed 10,000 “Minnesota Cough and Cold Care Kits for Adults” to clinics in the seven-county metropolitan area surrounding Minneapolis. The kits contain over-the-counter medications to treat the symptoms of colds, including acetaminophen, decongestant tablets, cough suppressant syrup, tea bags, instant chicken noodle soup mix, a patient education brochure and a patient satisfaction reply card. (more…)