However, docs overprescribe, too. Just spoke with a man a few minutes ago who had 30 days worth of pain pills prescribed for a simple outpatient surgery. He took them for 48 hours, on doctor's specific orders, and didn't bother with the rest.
The same has happened to me and my family, I just cleaned out the bathroom closet and took a plastic bag filled with overprescribed painkillers from various dental things and minor operations to a drop-off. Invariably, we'd get the prescription, take the pills for a day or two, and then stop, or transition to something more mild, OTC.
(I'd forgotten about the 800mg Ibuprofen "Horse Pills". Geez, it's a wonder my liver and kidneys are still working after those things....)
Is that the right thing to do? Probably, I'm not changing anything. But a lot of the same docs will tell you to follow their prescriptions to the letter and I'm sure that can get people in trouble.
Yes. Following to the letter is absolutely correct, and you should.
However, while antibiotics may say “Take twice a day with meals, do not skip doses”, in the case of painkillers, that letter to be followe almost always states “As needed”.