If we just step back in the broader context, there are many reasons why doctors over-order both prescriptions and tests. Sometimes patients want them, and that is particularly true on the antibiotic side in the outpatient sector.
Sometimes it's just that it takes longer to explain. If you come in distressed, you want an antibiotic because you want to get back to work, and you say to the doctor, “Dr. Morris, I just want a script and then I'll get out of your office”, he thinks to himself, “Am I going to spend the time explaining to the patient why he doesn't need it or is it just quicker, and am I going to make him happier?” It's easier to do it.
Also, sometimes doctors over-prescribe because they're worried about being sued, so they're trying to cover everything and be thorough. In—