Something for nothing
New supermarket campaign offering free antibiotics may leave customers with more problems than they bargained for…
As you know, I love a bargain. But the latest “freebie” I came across isn’t a good deal for anyone…I’d stopped at the supermarket to pick up a few odds and ends and as I passed by the store’s pharmacy, I noticed a sign advertising free antibiotics to customers. Apparently, it’s a part of their “health and wellness” initiative.
Unfortunately, I have a bad feeling that what this “initiative” is really promoting is the misconception that antibiotics are cure-alls…or, at the very least, harmless medicines. And, as you and I both know, NEITHER of those things are true.
In fact, even when they’re used appropriately, antibiotics can wreak havoc in your system, wiping out all of the beneficial bacteria your body needs right along with the harmful ones causing illness. Most of the time, this side effect leads to such gastrointestinal pleasantries as nausea and diarrhea. And those are the LEAST of the problems antibiotics cause.
When I got home, I did some research and discovered that my grocery store is just one of several chains offering this “service.”
To be fair, they’re not just doling out antibiotics right along side the free samples in the bakery department — you do need to have a valid prescription from your doctor. But, let’s face it, when you see something advertised as “FREE,” aren’t you more likely to try to get your “fair share” whether or not you really need it?
That’s what concerns public health officials most — that people will ask their doctors to write them a prescription for an antibiotic they may not really need. Particularly since some of the supermarket campaigns either directly or indirectly link antibiotics with colds and the flu — and antibiotics have no effect against these (or any other) viral infections. And when people take them for these purposes, it jeopardizes their effectiveness. In essence, it makes them less likely to work when you DO need them.
This sort of overuse has led to antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria such as MRSA, the scary — and deadly — infection that has become disturbingly common in hospitals, gyms, and other public forums.
The bottom line is, unless you’ve got a bacterial infection such as strep throat or an ear infection, antibiotics won’t do you any good, and taking them simply because they’re “FREE” will leave you with more problems than you bargained for.
Source:
“Free antibiotics: Wrong prescription for cold and flu season, experts say,” ScienceDaily (www.sciencedaily.com), 1/19/09
