Why do you think drugs such as penicillin are sold only with a doctor's prescription?

Question

I want something to do with resistant (bacteria)...Thanks.

Answer 1

Possibly because every time some people get sick, they would go to the pharmacy and buy penicillin. Mind you antibiotics are effective for bacterial infections only, not viral
infections. So these people would unwittingly take it for whatever reasons and then the penicillin is ineffective-because the bacteria have developed a resistance to
to it, because these people took it for anything and everything.

Answer 2

Drugs such as penicillin require a doctor's prescription, because most people are not experts infectious disease.

Different antibiotics work on different bacteria, and it is important to prescribe the most appropriate antibiotic for a given infection.

Antibiotics can react with other medications that a patient may be taking, or interfere with other disease states that a patient has. Reactions to antibiotics can be fatal.

With regard to antibiotic resistant bacteria, overuse of antibiotics has led to the emergence of some very nasty bugs. If people are allowed to use antibiotics whenever they think it might help, misuse of these drugs will skyrocket. The prevalence of resistant organisms, and emergence of new resistant organisms, will also increase. It would be a public health disaster.

Answer 3

This good question, I work in heath care field as direct care work.. I thing over use antibiotic place risk in my job, which cause me contact with care people with resistant bacteria.
I'm only give one source get started on your try get done.
"Antibiotic-resistant bacteria are on the rise. Patients once effectively treated for pneumonia, tuberculosis, or ear infections may now have to try three or more antibiotics before they find one that works. And as more bacterial strains develop resistance, more people will die because effective antibiotics are not identified quickly enough or because the bacteria causing the disease are resistant to all available antibiotics.

Why have bacterial strains become resistant? The short answer is overuse of antibiotics. Physicians and hospitals have overprescribed the drugs, and patients have demanded them—even for illnesses not caused by bacteria. Veterinarians, too, overprescribe drugs to treat sick animals."
( http://www.ucsusa.org/food_and_environment/antibiotics_and_food/ )

All Antibiotic use should need some limits and lab show resistant in animals, and human. Yes even animal use if overprescribe can effect humans needs for antibiotic and resistant bacteria.

Answer 4

If antibiotics were sold OTC I think most people would run for the meds every time they are sick.... and then the bacteria would be resistant to the medication. Also it is important that physical ailments are treated with medication that is created for that ailment... I think there would be a lot of people taking the wrong medication for their problems if they were able to buy meds themselves. Another aspect that would be dangerous is if someone was treated them self for an illness that did not require medication but DID require further tests (looking for tumors or cysts or cancer).... their life could be in jeopardy.
I personally find a lot of comfort in being able to go to the doctor and trust their diagnosis.
Good question and good luck!

Answer 5

People would over use them, that is why there are so many resistant bacteria around. People don't realize you have to take them until all bacteria are gone not just until you feel better or the bacteria will become resistant.

Answer 6

Penicillin has got adverse drug reactions and hypersensitivity including anaphylaxis. Too much misuse of antibiotics may lead to drug resistant bacteria. Hence I think that doctor's prescription is absolutely necessary.

Answer 7

Many things are too dangerous for most people to handle themselves. A really stupid idea was when they tried to put Vitamin C under prescription. Try that. Take as much as your body will tollerate. Too much and you get diarreha. Too little and you are sick. One by-product of the breakdown of Vit C in youor system is called Interferion the most effective cancer and infection fighter as yet found to date.