Dr Thomas Althaus from MORU (Mahidol Oxford Research Unit) in Bangkok, Thailand, tells us about his research on antibiotic prescription at the point of primary care. Prescription of antibiotics at the point of care is very high in Southeast Asia. Simple tests can help health workers determine which patients actually need antibiotics, but we need to ensure that the benefits and advantages are clearly explained. In the long term, those tests could represent a sustainable alternative to the massive prescription of antibiotics in developing countries.