The development of antibiotics was one of the great medical advances of the 20th century. Thanks to antibiotics, many formerly-deadly bacterial diseases are now easily treatable.
But, as stated on the CDC's website, "these drugs have been used so widely and for so long that the infectious organisms...have adapted to them, making the drugs less effective." Drug-resistant "superbugs" are making bacterial illness deadly again.
It is costly and time-consuming to wait for a definitive diagnosis when treating infections. Thus, doctors continue to prescribe antibiotics for presumptive bacterial illnesses. If resistance continues to evolve, we must develop new drugs.
Companies make little money from making drugs which each patient only takes for a few weeks. That is where government can help.