Almost all infectious diseases physicians have had the dreaded call about patients with infections that were essentially untreatable because of antimicrobial resistance, says a Monash University professor.

I was also shocked to learn the US have over the counter antiobiotics that people pop for random illness and minor cuts/scrapes. Pretty much unthinkable here (EUN)

@millie@beehaw.org
link
fedilink
English
11Y

We definitely don’t have that at all.

Yes, some topical AB are available according to a quick online search

Some topical antibiotics can be purchased as over-the-counter (OTC) medicines.
However, it is always recommended that you consult a medical expert before purchasing and using any medication.
Topical antibiotics are used to treat skin wounds, scrapes, scratches, and minor burns.
They are available in ointment, cream, spray, or powder forms and are used to prevent infection in topical skin ailments.
Some over-the-counter topical antibiotics include: Bacitracin (Neosporin)
Polymyxin (Polysporin)
Neomycin (Neosporin Plus Pain Relief)
Pramoxine
Benzoyl peroxide (Proactiv)

@millie@beehaw.org
link
fedilink
English
21Y

There’s a huge difference between saying ‘antibiotics are available OTC’ and ‘topical antibiotics are available OTC’. One is misleading clickbait nonsense, the other is true.

Thats why i didnt write what you claim i did.

“they have over the counter antiobiotics”

As in antibiotics exist there that are OTC.

Is that so absurd?

We absolutely do not have over-the-counter antibiotics, they need a prescription every time

Besides the topicals OTC that i outlined in here, US friends of mine “keep” their remaining prescription ABs for when they are sick again.

Like he got prescribed some for a COLD and then kept them to pop when he gets the next COLD :'D

Its nuts. Some OTC, others simply overprescribed.

Here you get a prescription if you have a severe infection, OR a substantial injury with high risk.

Wait, I’m assuming you’re from somewhere in Europe, you don’t have topical antibiotics available without prescription?!

I wouldn’t argue against antibiotics being overprescribed in America, they definitely are. The tendency is for medicine to be prescribed if a patient sees a doctor. Another crappy consequence of an expensive medical system, people won’t be satisfied if they spent hundreds of dollars only to be told to rest and drink lots of fluids.

US friends of mine “keep” their remaining prescription ABs for when they are sick again

This is definitely a thing that morons do over here 😂

Create a post

Breaking news from around the world.

News that is American but has an international facet may also be posted here.


Guidelines for submissions:
  • Where possible, post the original source of information.
    • If there is a paywall, you can use alternative sources or provide an archive.today, 12ft.io, etc. link in the body.
  • Do not editorialize titles. Preserve the original title when possible; edits for clarity are fine.
  • Do not post ragebait or shock stories. These will be removed.
  • Do not post tabloid or blogspam stories. These will be removed.
  • Social media should be a source of last resort.

These guidelines will be enforced on a know-it-when-I-see-it basis.


For US News, see the US News community.


This community’s icon was made by Aaron Schneider, under the CC-BY-NC-SA 4.0 license.

  • 1 user online
  • 26 users / day
  • 64 users / week
  • 168 users / month
  • 663 users / 6 months
  • 1 subscriber
  • 2.74K Posts
  • 15K Comments
  • Modlog