# Why do you need a prescription for Amoxicillin? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 16, 2011, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-you-need-a-prescription-for-amoxicillin/582155 "2011-05-16T23:51:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2011, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-you-need-a-prescription-for-amoxicillin/582155/1 "2011-05-16T23:51:00Z")
Every time I’ve ever had any kind of infection, Amoxicillin has made it go away. It’s the most useful medicine ever. Why the hell do you need a prescription from a doctor to get it? I don’t understand why I can’t just buy my own supply of the stuff to use as needed. It’s not a recreational drug. You can’t get high on it. As far as I know, you can’t OD on it. So why is it so tightly regulated? Is this just a racket set up by doctors to ensure that people come to them and pay them instead of just cutting out the middleman? ---
**Author:** ![mac\_bolan00](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b3f665/32.png) [@mac\_bolan00](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mac_bolan00)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2011, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-you-need-a-prescription-for-amoxicillin/582155/2 "2011-05-16T23:54:50Z")
because antibios are just for bacterial infections and it takes a doctor and lab tests to really determine them as such. yours may be just viral, and taking antibios is a no-no. ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2011, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-you-need-a-prescription-for-amoxicillin/582155/3 "2011-05-16T23:57:08Z")
Abuse of antibiotics is the main factor driving the emergence of antibiotic resistant bacteria, which are becoming a real problem. Also, overuse of amoxicillin can cause serious problems, including hepatitis, on top of the usual side effects of killing off a whole bunch of your normal gut bacteria - nausea, diarrhea, etc. ---
**Author:** ![gazpacho](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/6f9a4e/32.png) [@gazpacho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gazpacho)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2011, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-you-need-a-prescription-for-amoxicillin/582155/4 "2011-05-16T23:59:25Z")
> [@Smeghead](#): > > Abuse of antibiotics is the main factor driving the emergence of antibiotic resistant bacteria, which are becoming a real problem. Also, overuse of amoxicillin can cause serious problems, including hepatitis, on top of the usual side effects of killing off a whole bunch of your normal gut bacteria - nausea, diarrhea, etc. Antibiotics were prescription long before resistance was an issue that people worried about. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2011, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-you-need-a-prescription-for-amoxicillin/582155/5 "2011-05-17T00:10:40Z")
Like all drugs, the risks need to be weighed against the benefits. The risks for this one are too great for the FDA to determine it safe for people who aren’t doctors to weigh appropriately and accurately. Wanna read the side effects and potential adverse reactions from my nursing drug book? > [@](#): > > CNS: lethargy, hallucinations, anxiety, confusion, agitation, depression, dizziness, fatigue, hyperactivity, insomnia, behavioral changes, seizures (with high doses) > GI: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, bloody diarrhea, abdominal pain, gastritis, stomatitis, glossitis, black “hairy” tongue, furry tongue, enterocolitis, pseudomembranous colitis > GU: vaginitis, nephropathy, interstitial nephritis Hematologic: eosinophilia, anemia, thrombocytopenia, thrombocytopenic purpura, leukopenia, hemolytic anemia, agranulocytosis, bone marrow depression > Hepatic: cholestatic jaundice, hepatic cholestasis, cholestatic hepatitis, nonspecific hepatitis > Respiratory: wheezing > Skin: rash > Other: superinfections (oral and rectal candidiasis), fever, anaphylaxis How about the Interactions? > [@](#): > > Drug-drug. Allopurinol: increased risk of rash Chloramphenicol, macrolides, sulfonamides, tetracycline: decreased amoxicillin efficacy Hormonal contraceptives: decreased contraceptive efficacy Probenecid: decreased renal excretion > Drug-diagnostic tests. Alanine aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, eosinophils, lactate dehydrogenase: increased levels Granulocytes, hemoglobin, platelets, white blood cells: decreased values Direct Coombs’ test, urine glucose, urine protein: false-positive results > Drug-food. Any food: delayed or reduced drug absorption > Drug-herbs. Khat: decreased antimicrobial efficacy From _2010 Nursing Spectrum Drug Handbook_ ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2011, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-you-need-a-prescription-for-amoxicillin/582155/6 "2011-05-17T00:59:49Z")
I believe it is safely sold OTC in other countries, which sort of blows the safety and the antibiotic resistant bacteria argument out of the water, plus I’m sure many (including at a time myself) has tried to get by with less then prescribed so we have extra for the next time, which increases the chance of the bugs developing resistance, while making them OTC would seem to have people finish their dosing and limit the chance of the bacteria becoming resistant. ---
**Author:** ![Koxinga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4af34b/32.png) [@Koxinga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Koxinga)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2011, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-you-need-a-prescription-for-amoxicillin/582155/7 "2011-05-17T01:12:17Z")
> [@kanicbird](#): > > plus I’m sure many (including at a time myself) has tried to get by with less then prescribed so we have extra for the next time, which increases the chance of the bugs developing resistance Did it ever occur to you that this practice was pretty stupid? But if you’re allowed to buy it OTC, you’ll be much smarter, huh? ---
**Author:** ![ladyfoxfyre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ad7895/32.png) [@ladyfoxfyre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ladyfoxfyre)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2011, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-you-need-a-prescription-for-amoxicillin/582155/8 "2011-05-17T01:12:32Z")
> [@kanicbird](#): > > I believe it is safely sold OTC in other countries, which sort of blows the safety and the antibiotic resistant bacteria argument out of the water Hardly. Look up some articles on antibiotic resistance in latin america for a decent picture of what happens when antibiotics are sold freely over the counter without prescription. The rates of bacterial resistance to antibiotics are staggering, and increasing. When people are self-dosing for every sniffle and sneeze, they are reducing the effectiveness by great proportions. > [@](#): > > plus I’m sure many (including at a time myself) has tried to get by with less then prescribed so we have extra for the next time, which increases the chance of the bugs developing resistance, while making them OTC would seem to have people finish their dosing and limit the chance of the bacteria becoming resistant. Also untrue. People tend to stop taking antibiotics the same day that symptoms are alleviated, which is typically halfway through the standard dose of antibiotics. The goal is usually not to “keep some over for the next time”, it’s typically because they don’t see the point in continuing to take medication that they feel no different taking. ---
**Author:** ![classyladyhp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b5ac83/32.png) [@classyladyhp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/classyladyhp)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2011, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-you-need-a-prescription-for-amoxicillin/582155/9 "2011-05-17T01:16:36Z")
> [@Argent\_Towers](#): > > Every time I’ve ever had any kind of infection, Amoxicillin has made it go away. It’s the most useful medicine ever. Why the hell do you need a prescription from a doctor to get it? I don’t understand why I can’t just buy my own supply of the stuff to use as needed. It’s not a recreational drug. You can’t get high on it. As far as I know, you can’t OD on it. So why is it so tightly regulated? > > Is this just a racket set up by doctors to ensure that people come to them and pay them instead of just cutting out the middleman? No. It’s called you shouldn’t self diagnose. We have Dr.'s for a reason. They go to school for many years you know. They are qualified to determine when an antibiotic is needed and when it’s not, Ever heard of a little thing called antibiotic resistance:smack: Some people are also deathly allergic to penicillin and amoxicillin is a penicillin. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2011, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-you-need-a-prescription-for-amoxicillin/582155/10 "2011-05-17T01:33:47Z")
> [@Koxinga](#): > > Did it ever occur to you that this practice was pretty stupid? But if you’re allowed to buy it OTC, you’ll be much smarter, huh? Doubly stupid: the shelf life of amoxicillin is pretty short. The liquid stuff is good for less than a month after your pharmacist reconstitutes it and hands it to you. So if you “save it for next time”, you’re not only growing antibiotic resistant bacteria this time, but next time when you take part of this dose and part of next time’s dose, the saved stuff is useless. I’m all for taking charge of your health care, but yeah, I can’t get behind OTC antibiotics. We might not have known the resistance reasons for it when they first came out, but we do now, so there’s no good reason to change. The allergy reason is another good one. True, some people are allergic to other OTC meds, but penicillin allergies tend to the deadly type, and there are lots of cross-allergies with other things not called penicillin. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2011, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-you-need-a-prescription-for-amoxicillin/582155/11 "2011-05-17T01:58:58Z")
And just to top it off, there are lots of infections that respond better to erythromycin, tetracyclene, cephalosporins, sulfanamides, etc. Take penicilin for those infections and you’ll be claiming that it’s a rip-off. ---
**Author:** ![Al\_Bundy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e79b87/32.png) [@Al\_Bundy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Al_Bundy)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2011, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-you-need-a-prescription-for-amoxicillin/582155/12 "2011-05-17T02:00:23Z")
Fish supply stores don’t need a prescription for you to buy antibiotics for your fish or certain other pets. There are actually people who buy and take these products for themselves. Self-diagnosis and treatment is not a great idea. It can kill you and of course the over use of drugs is a problem. If I knew the product and potency, I might give it a try for a simple bladder infection. Don’t try this at home. ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2011, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-you-need-a-prescription-for-amoxicillin/582155/13 "2011-05-17T02:32:02Z")
I can see both sides to this. I have had HMOs in the past and I’ve been prescribed antibiotics without ever meeting a doctor. They will have the nurse just ask me questions on the phone and phone in the prescription. Look at albuterol, used to treat asthma. This is a lot safer than Primatene (which is Epinephrine also known as adrenaline) and that’s sold over the counter. I’m not a proponent of self treatment, but I live in a Spanish neighborhood and we have a lot of “Mexican Pharmacies” that can get you all sort of prescription drugs (except the hard core things) like for antibiotics, asthma, etc without a prescription. Mexican pharmacies are stores owned by Mexicans in the city which sell these on the side, illegally of course. But as long as you’re friendly with one immigrant, you can find them easily. ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2011, 12:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-you-need-a-prescription-for-amoxicillin/582155/14 "2011-05-17T12:28:38Z")
> [@ladyfoxfyre](#): > > Hardly. Look up some articles on antibiotic resistance in latin america for a decent picture of what happens when antibiotics are sold freely over the counter without prescription. The rates of bacterial resistance to antibiotics are staggering, and increasing. When people are self-dosing for every sniffle and sneeze, they are reducing the effectiveness by great proportions. This is my point, how long can the national border fence keep out these bacterial resistance to antibiotics? How good is the TSA screeners at stopping these bugs? Do you think by preventing people from obtaining antibiotics in this country you have a chance that these resistant strains won’t come in from the rest of the world. But perhaps you do have a point. If sans-antibiotic the non-resistant strains have a natural advantage over the resistant ones then the resistant ones may die out in such a population. Just sort of ironic that the US which is suppose to be a first world nation, on the cutting edge so to speak, is a people comparatively without antibiotics. ---
**Author:** ![Koxinga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4af34b/32.png) [@Koxinga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Koxinga)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2011, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-you-need-a-prescription-for-amoxicillin/582155/15 "2011-05-17T12:34:17Z")
Your ideas intrigue me and I wish to subscribe to your newsletter. ---
**Author:** ![lazybratsche](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ba8739/32.png) [@lazybratsche](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lazybratsche)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2011, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-you-need-a-prescription-for-amoxicillin/582155/16 "2011-05-17T12:50:10Z")
> [@kanicbird](#): > > This is my point, how long can the national border fence keep out these bacterial resistance to antibiotics? How good is the TSA screeners at stopping these bugs? Do you think by preventing people from obtaining antibiotics in this country you have a chance that these resistant strains won’t come in from the rest of the world. Antibiotic resistant strains have always been present everywhere. I remember one example from a microbio course where decades ago a microbiologist wanted to start studying natural resistance. First sample they tested was soil bacteria from right outside the lab. In that sample, there was at least one type of bacteria that was resistant to every single known antibiotic, including synthetics unlike anything in nature, and experimental antibiotics which never existed outside a few labs. Bacteria are hardy and versatile critters. But antibiotic resistant bacteria really aren’t superbugs. They usually lose if they compete against their non-resistant counterparts. Resistant strains tend to lose their resistance if they aren’t continually exposed to antibiotics. If we completely stopped using antibiotics, the resistant strains would fade away (though they would still exist in small numbers because antibiotics are a natural part of microbial warfare). Of course that’s a rather drastic step, and we’d be back to the days when an infected cut could kill, and large wounds almost always lead to deadly infection. And if we started overusing antibiotics here, we’d get even more resistant bugs. So the existence of large reservoirs of antibiotic resistant bacteria in other countries doesn’t mean we should all be cavalier about antibiotic use. There are already small reservoirs of resistance all around us; their success depends entirely on how we use the antibiotics. The existence of large reservoirs of resistance elsewhere just means that the resistance will quickly spread into other areas where antibiotics are similarly abused. Careful use requires control by people who know which antibiotic is appropriate in a given case (though some doctors overproscribe antibiotics and are Part Of The Problem). ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2011, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-you-need-a-prescription-for-amoxicillin/582155/17 "2011-05-17T14:06:57Z")
Just about all antibiotics are sold OTC in most countries over here. There are a handful of expensive Western-oriented pharmacies that will insist on a prescription, but the vast majority just sell the stuff to you. The practice has its roots in doctor shortages or people not being able to afford one. Usually, pharmacists try to help determine what a customer really needs as best he or she can without the proper diagnostic tools, but in a lot of cases they just give something strong that will hopefully kill anything. There’s an NGO I’m familiar with called the [International Network for the Rational Use of Drugs (Inrud)](http://www.inrud.org/) that recognizes people in the Third World aren’t always going to have access to a doctor for whatever reason and tries to promote greater responsibility among pharmacists. Living over here for any length of time means you’ve self-medicated at some point. Even now, I have a chronic skin condition that flares up a couple times a year, and the dermatologist just told me which antibiotics to go get whenever it does. ---
**Author:** ![mnemosyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@mnemosyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mnemosyne)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2011, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-you-need-a-prescription-for-amoxicillin/582155/18 "2011-05-17T18:29:39Z")
> [@kanicbird](#): > > Do you think by preventing people from obtaining antibiotics in this country you have a chance that these resistant strains won’t come in from the rest of the world. > > [snip] > > Just sort of ironic that the US which is suppose to be a first world nation, on the cutting edge so to speak, is a people comparatively without antibiotics. The solution to this problem is not to make antibiotics (or any other drug that is often used) available over-the-counter to anyone who wants some. The solution to this problem is to fix the healthcare system so that people can have access to doctors and to prescription drugs at reasonable prices. ---
**Author:** ![nivlac](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/3bc359/32.png) [@nivlac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nivlac)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2011, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-you-need-a-prescription-for-amoxicillin/582155/19 "2011-05-17T18:43:51Z")
> [@Argent\_Towers](#): > > Every time I’ve ever had any kind of infection, Amoxicillin has made it go away. It’s the most useful medicine ever. Why the hell do you need a prescription from a doctor to get it? … Why do you have to see a doctor? The answer’s the same. You really shouldn’t be practicing medicine on yourself. ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2011, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-you-need-a-prescription-for-amoxicillin/582155/20 "2011-05-17T19:53:59Z")
People “practice medicine” on themselves all the time with all kinds of other medications, from painkillers to sleep aids to cold/cough remedies (which sometimes contain alcohol and psychoactive drugs) to anti-allergy pills and much more, all of which is easily obtained at any grocery store or pharmacy with no prescription whatsoever. Why are antibiotics the one thing that makes you say “You really shouldn’t be practicing medicine on yourself”? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-you-need-a-prescription-for-amoxicillin/582155.md?page=2)