Of course, the ED will also tell them to follow up the next day for conjunctivitis.
I always thought the best way (though not very workable) would be to only allow ED docs to write one days of antibiotics for sinus, ear and throat infections. Or give a sample. Then the patient would HAVE to come to the office the following day to get the remaining nine days. It wouldn't take too long for the patient to figure out, I guess it's sort of stupid to go to the ED, wait four hours, get diagnosed with an ear infection by someone who is seeing you at 2 am, doesn't specialists in looking at ears and probably doesn't want to piss you off after four hours. Then, have to go to the doctor anyway. Of course, for things like cellulitis, it would be different.
