To think that we should be able to buy antibiotics accross the counter like a good number of other countries

[Carollocking]

Why do we need to go through the rigmarole of doctors just to get an antibiotic when we know what we need.
What reason is there to prevent us access to them without seeing a doctor.
I know we're not the only country like this but there are plenty of places you can just buy them at the chemist.

YABVVVU Op

Shows you know nothing about antibiotics. You remind me of my SIL who wants ABs for bloody everything. Are you a Doctor? Nope. Thought not.

How do you know which ones you need for what? It's hard enough for medical practitioners to prescribe and you could just be masking something that needs urgent investigation. i can't believe I'm even responding to such a daft post.

Because some people just cannot get it into their heads that they don't need them for every cold and every little minor ailment. Antibiotic resistance is a huge problem nowadays. And SO many people don't know (or just refuse to acknowledge) that antibiotics are useless against viral infections,which is what a common cold is. My DP drives me mad saying 'I need to get some antibiotics' every time he's gets a sniffle or a twinge of a sore throat. Personally I resist taking them as much as possible as I usually find the side effects as bad as what they were prescribed for.

A/B resistance is, as has been said time and again on this thread.

I am waiting for a kidney op and over the past 5 years have had one UTI after another. I need antibiotics each time and a prophylactic one each night when I don't have an ongoing infection. I am now down to just the one antibiotic that will sort out the infections. The rest do nothing. Even people with uncomplicated UTI's and other bacterial infections are finding the usual recommended A/Bs do nothing. People being given them/buying them when there's no real need and/or not finishing the full course as well as the massive use of them in farming, means that many people could easily die of something relatively minor until another A/B is discovered that the bacteria are not resistant to. Each time I take mine, when I don't see any improvement after a few days, I get really concerned about my options because right now, there are no other ones I can take. Scary shit.

A/B is a massive problem I meant to type.

I also suspect we'd probably have less MRSA if UK hospitals avoided communal wards and didn't stink of shit, so we probably shouldn't feel too superior!

What a stupid thing to say. MRSA is going down year on year because of handwashing protocols. Isolation of MRSA patients is of very little benefit.

I wasn't suggesting they were isolated cordial - just that the risk of it (or any other) infection spreading must be exacerbated where facilities (toilets etc) are communal as in UK hospitals. Speaking as someone who picked up MRSA in hospital from a previous patient after poor infection control and cleaning, I rather suspect that the NHS approach to ab's has more to do with rationing than any coherent plan about resistance. That's isn't to say I agree with the OP, but the NHS only seems to give a toss about infection control when it saves them cash/helps ration treatment and access.

Well,people don't know what they need,do they? People think they need ABs when they have a viral illness which ABs won't help with,people don't actually have an infection at all but something else,people think they'd rather take them to be sure,people don't know which antibiotic they need for the infection they have...
Antibiotic resistance is a big issue and a frightening one,as I'm sure pretty much every poster here must've already said.

What a stupid thing to say. MRSA is going down year on year because of handwashing protocols. Isolation of MRSA patients is of very little benefit.

Actually, in Norway, if you"ve been in a hospital outside of Norway in the past twelve months, you have to have a swab taken before you are hospitalised for anything routine.

If you have MRSA, you are indeed kept on a separate ward.

Most wards are communal, however. Standard size seems to be about four per ward.

I bought some antibiotics for 5 euros in a chemist after the chemist man said i had ear infection. I was on holidsay it was a quick pro service for very little cost and helped me noend. Saved a trip to local doctor/

Didn't explain that well. Normal wards have four beds. MRSA patients are separate.

anon your mum isn't resistant to antibiotics - the bacteria are.

Most ear infections will clear up on their own after a few days Holiday. There's a good possibility you took them, but would have got better even without. Unfortunately. That's one of the reasons why they end up so overused.

Hackmum but my MIL has been a vegetarian for over 40 years, and she has resistance to them.

It's the bacteria that are resistant, it's not individual people. So even if you are one of the responsible people who finishes the antibs in a pack, or doesn't take them for a cold, you're still susceptible to the new strains of resistant bacteria.

Ear infections generally clear up by themselves.

In many parts of the world you can buy "antibiotics" over the counter, at least it says antibiotic on the packet, but what is inside is not. Fake drug manufacture is a huge worldwide problem, and fake drug manufacturers are very happy that their products are so widely available. Personally I am very happy that when I get an antibiotic from my pharmacist I know what I am taking.

I am resistant to penicillin now due to heavy usage when younger for chronic tonsilitis. I needed antibiotics for a uti a few years ago and tried 4 different ones prescribed repeatedly over the course of 4 months with no effect. The final AB that cured me was something I had never even heard of and the first pharmacy I tried didn't even stock it.

Aibu to suggest your ignorant and uneducated!!!! Read the news luv!!!

I've bought OTC antibiotics for my father from Spain and France I believe. He got chest infections and rather than wait for the Dr he took them. Saved him days of pain and effort of going to the Dr's when he was ill. He knew what ailed him and what would work.

I took OTC ones once. I've had antibiotics about 3 times in my life (in my 50s now). Once was as a kid. As an adult I'd gone to one Dr who said he couldn't tell if it was viral or bacterial so I suffered once quite badly. Another time I got such a low dose they did bugger all so I ended up taking about 10 days worth (had to get a second prescription) and got thrush after it. The last time I took the antibiotics and was better quickly.

I understand what everyone is saying just that I've barely had them all my life, kind of know when I do need them (wouldn't be so stupid for a cold) and when I do I want them quickly, not after struggling to get to the Dr feeling ill, hanging about a waiting room, so if necessary I'd buy them OTC while abroad again. I'd use them as back-up.

I agree most people are too stupid though. But for some individuals I think they do know when they need them and being able to buy OTC is handy.

Please take a look at this

antibioticguardian.com

It's really annoying. My GP has refused my DS antibiotics on a number of occasions - it's like getting blood out of a stone.

And each time he was right, the infections cleared up on their own after a few days.

Antibiotics have a spectrum of activity meaning each antibiotic will only work against certain types of bacteria. And different doses will be needed for different types of infections. Also for common things like urinary tract infections, resistance rates to common bacteria causing them will vary by region (and change with time). When your GP prescribes an antibiotic for a UTI it will be based on recommendations from microbiology based on your local epidemiology.
So walking into the chemist to buy "an antibiotic" when you think you have an infection is like going to McSurgery and ordering "an operation" when you have abdominal pains.
Proper antibiotic use include correct diagnosis, checking any previous culture results, considering local resistance patterns and using the most narrow spectrum antibiotic possible to avoid encouraging the development of resistance.

There's also some evidence antibiotics may be behind the explosion in allergies in the last 40 years.

They kill off good bacteria as well bad ones which can lead the immune system to over respond to allergens, ie, an allergic reaction.

I avoid them as much as possible.

@annielouise - so how do you differentiate between a viral infection and a bacterial one?

And if just anyone can decide when they need antibiotics, why do we need such highly trained doctors to prescribe them?

Do you fancy having a go at any more medical stuff? Whip out an appendix, maybe, or put in a few sutures? What other illnesses would you like to prescribe for?

And what do you suggest we do, when there are no working antibiotics left any more, because resistance has become so widespread due to antibiotic misuse, and people are dying of what used to be easily treatable infections?

It will be too late then.

Oh get off your high horse STD. Don't hector me. Who made you god?