# Free drugs? What the hell? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 7, 2007, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-drugs-what-the-hell/414722 "2007-08-07T06:14:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![dnooman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/839c29/32.png) [@dnooman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dnooman)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2007, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-drugs-what-the-hell/414722/1 "2007-08-07T06:14:58Z")
How dare they? A pharmacy decides to [give away free antibiotics](http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sfl-0806publix,0,1726442.story). People around the world that work for pharmaceutical companies have kids that need to eat too! There is profit to be had here! Next we’ll be giving free HIV meds to people in Africa. WTF people? Seriously, where are our priorities? ---
**Author:** ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2007, 7:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-drugs-what-the-hell/414722/2 "2007-08-07T07:04:55Z")
We can only hope that, with this move, the violent gangs of amoxicillin junkies running rampant throughout the southeastern part of the country will take this opportunity to give up mugging people in order to feed their habits. ---
**Author:** ![pool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pool/32/4152_2.png) [@pool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pool)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2007, 7:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-drugs-what-the-hell/414722/3 "2007-08-07T07:18:50Z")
Is this a bad idea what with antibiotic resistance and all? ---
**Author:** ![dnooman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/839c29/32.png) [@dnooman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dnooman)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2007, 7:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-drugs-what-the-hell/414722/4 "2007-08-07T07:21:11Z")
[QUOTE=Snooooopy] We can only hope that, with this move, the violent gangs of amoxicillin junkies running rampant throughout the southeastern part of the country will take this opportunity to give up mugging people in order to feed their habits. [/QUOTE] They will stop at _nothing_ to appease their antibiotic needs. Godless, biotic heathens! Louis Pasteur is molding in his grave. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2007, 7:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-drugs-what-the-hell/414722/5 "2007-08-07T07:25:23Z")
[QUOTE=pool] Is this a bad idea what with antibiotic resistance and all? [/QUOTE] The article says they will be provided free to anyone with a prescription for them, so as long as doctors aren’t prescribing them where they are not required, it’s not any worse than it was when people had to pay. ---
**Author:** ![picunurse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@picunurse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picunurse)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2007, 12:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-drugs-what-the-hell/414722/6 "2007-08-07T12:01:13Z")
It’s just PR. All the antibotics listed, except for Cipro, are dirt cheap. ---
**Author:** ![chaoticbear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f07891/32.png) [@chaoticbear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chaoticbear)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2007, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-drugs-what-the-hell/414722/7 "2007-08-07T15:15:58Z")
People who visit doctors, though, are specifically going to request one of these 7, even if it’s not the one they need. All of the doctors around here have a copy of Wal-Mart’s $4 list of drugs, and the patients will ask to be prescribed those drugs all the time. Sometimes a doctor will prescribe something else, and we have to call to get an authorization to switch it, because the customer won’t pay 16 dollars for something, it HAS to be on the 4 dollar list. (I realize that some people literally can’t afford the extra 12 dollars for a necessary med, but this happens more often than can be explained by poverty.) – **chaoticbear** , ex WM pharmacy employee ---
**Author:** ![Velma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/85e7bf/32.png) [@Velma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velma)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2007, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-drugs-what-the-hell/414722/8 "2007-08-07T18:36:13Z")
There’s a couple of big pharmacies around here that do that now. It’s not a big savings, as others have pointed out those drugs are usually cheap anyway, but if you have kids that go on antibiotics a couple times a year each it adds up. With all the medical co-pays and charges for everything else, it’s nice to have something just be free. ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2007, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-drugs-what-the-hell/414722/9 "2007-08-07T20:16:27Z")
With little ones and their constant ear infections, it will be nice to have these more common antibiotics available for free. And since you’re in Publix anyway, I’m sure it will be very convenient to pick up a gallon of milk and some bread while you’re waiting… I think it’s an excellent PR move. I’m waiting for Wal-Mart and Target to follow. ---
**Author:** ![vetbridge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5e925/32.png) [@vetbridge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vetbridge)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2007, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-drugs-what-the-hell/414722/10 "2007-08-07T20:21:10Z")
[QUOTE=picunurse] It’s just PR. All the antibotics listed, except for Cipro, are dirt cheap. [/QUOTE] Even Cipro is available as a (relatively) inexpensive generic. Back when I did Ostrich medicine, I had a bird I did surgery on and then had on a gram of cipro twice a day. It was before generics, and the client thought the pharmacist was pulling his leg.