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Obtaining Antibiotics without a Prescription (2002)

nejm.org

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Re: Obtaining Antibiotics without a Prescription (2002)

#21

Post by davak »

ICU doctor here.

I frequently see complications of overuse of antibiotics. C diff colitis (1) is certainly the most obvious, but resistant pneumonias and urinary tract infections are becoming more common as well.

Many resistant organisms set up shop in chronically ill patients who see multiple rounds of antibiotics through their lives; however, in just my short 10 year history as a physician, the increasing amount of resistant staphylococcus (specifically MRSA) and VRE (2) found out in the community has changed how we treat many suspected infections.

Although some of this is due to overprescription by the healthcare profession, there are likely other selection components in our environment. Just as you can buy these antibiotics for animal use, so can people raising livestock. The FDA realizes this is a problem. (3)

Personally, the sad part to me is that our medical system is so expensive that treating routine, mild infections can cost hundreds of dollars. Thus, people search out these alternative riskier, but cheaper methods.

(1)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clostridium_difficile

(2)http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/slyutse/resistance%20graph...

(3)http://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm378100.ht...

Re: Obtaining Antibiotics without a Prescription (2002)

#22

Post by [deleted] »

carbocation wrote: post #9
viach wrote: post #7

That's weird. I can easily buy erythromycin in the drugstore. I thought this drugstore was for humans, well, I have never checked...

The FDA only regulates drugs in the United States. Presumably you are located elsewhere, or if you are in the US you are likely referring to the same phenomenon described in this paper.

[deleted]

Re: Obtaining Antibiotics without a Prescription (2002)

#23

Post by msandford »

timini wrote: post #3

This "common knowledge amongst all branches of the american special forces" is going to be a breeding ground for resistant strains.

Nice try, but not a chance. You want to see where resistance comes from? Have a little look-see at this chart:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/files/2014/01/a...

Re: Obtaining Antibiotics without a Prescription (2002)

#24

Post by squirejons »

I predict that the corporate media will run with this story and that as a consequence this source of medicine will soon disappear.

We cannot have the profits of our Most Holy Corporations drop. Cheap antibiotics will cause a drop in the Most Holy Profits of Our Sacred Corporations, and That Is Not Permissible.

Re: Obtaining Antibiotics without a Prescription (2002)

#25

Post by Sharlin »

squirejons wrote: post #24

I predict that the corporate media will run with this story and that as a consequence this source of medicine will soon disappear. We cannot have the profits of our Most Holy Corporations drop. Cheap antibiotics will cause a drop in the Most Holy Profits of Our Sacred Corporations, and That Is Not Permissible.

You do realize that it's a Very Good Thing Indeed For Everybody if the reckless use of antibiotics is reined in as much as possible?

Re: Obtaining Antibiotics without a Prescription (2002)

#26

Post by puzzlingcaptcha »

squirejons wrote: post #24

I predict that the corporate media will run with this story and that as a consequence this source of medicine will soon disappear. We cannot have the profits of our Most Holy Corporations drop. Cheap antibiotics will cause a drop in the Most Holy Profits of Our Sacred Corporations, and That Is Not Permissible.

The linked paper is from 2002. Has anything changed with regards to regulation in the past 10 years?

Re: Obtaining Antibiotics without a Prescription (2002)

#27

Post by lnanek2 »

teddyh wrote: post #16
efermat wrote: post #5

Here in Brazil, if you're friends with the pharmacist, this is easy.

So what you’re saying is that Brazilian pharmacists are more corrupt than others.

Well, as an American, I was going to say friends with the vet. There's lots of potent horse medicine out there as well :)

Re: Obtaining Antibiotics without a Prescription (2002)

#28

Post by DanBC »

squirejons wrote: post #24

I predict that the corporate media will run with this story and that as a consequence this source of medicine will soon disappear. We cannot have the profits of our Most Holy Corporations drop. Cheap antibiotics will cause a drop in the Most Holy Profits of Our Sacred Corporations, and That Is Not Permissible.

How much profit do you think is made on antibiotics?

How much profit is made by the misuse of antibiotics in animal rearing?

Re: Obtaining Antibiotics without a Prescription (2002)

#30

Post by dannypgh »

mrfusion wrote: post #6

This actually might be good for my grandparents. They live pretty far out from the nearest town and during storms in the winter the roads can be blocked for a week or more. It seems like this would be something good to have in their first aid kit. Are there antibiotics that keep well and are good for general infections? (Purely as a last resort if there's no way for them to get medical attention)

A very large percentage of infections are viral and antibiotics would be of no use. Hence the reason antibiotic abuse in humans is so common.

I suspect antibiotics in livestock/food supply are an even greater contributor to resistance, because they are used as preventative medicine in that sector, but really, neither is good.

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