Curiosity triggered by [this comment and thread](https://www.reddit.com/r/worldnews/comments/vrv9bq/potentially_deadly_superbug_found_in_british/ieyxzxh/).
It occurred to me, when reading about overprescription, that I cannot even recall the last time I was given antibiotics. I think there was one time when a bad cold led to a bacterial infection in my throat or sinuses. Apart from that, I can’t recall any other instance in the last 20 years. And you can’t buy them OTC in Germany, or at least not the good ones.
But I hear from some other countries that doctors will prescribe antibiotics if patients ask for them (a friend in France told me about this) and that some places have a habit of prescribing them “just in case”.
So what’s it like where you come from?
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In Turkey, the were available OTC until some years ago. It was especially bad because a lot of people took them for common cold, which is just about as helpful as wrapping goat intestines around your neck and dancing under the full moon. Now, it is not possible anymore. I did hear that people still bother doctors to prescribe antibiotics for colds/flu.
Finland: The last time I was perscribed antibiotics was after a wisdom tooth removal. Before that… Honestly at least 15 years ago, in a very similar situation OP describes.
Antibiotics are not sold over the counter here.
Their “pre-emptive use” in farming is also forbidden. A cow, for instance, has to have an illness a vet considers could go away with antibiotics, in order to get them.
I get them prescribed probably once a year on average, but always for an actual reason.
Sadly, Czech doctors tend to prescribe them “just in case” quite often, when unsure what’s wrong with the patient and the symptoms aren’t too severe. Personally though, I only use them as the last resort measure, when I really don’t feel good (which was like maybe ten years ago the last time for me). Normally I prefer to just get some rest and use natural remedies like lemon, garlic etc.
I think you can definitely buy some without a prescription in Czechia, which is (along with doctors overprescribing them) why they don’t work (or work poorly) for many people as they tend to grab some whenever they catch a cold or have a sore throat…
As far as I’m aware, you can’t get OTC antibiotics in Slovakia. When I was still visiting my pediatrician, she almost never prescribed me antibiotics, literally only when it was 100% necessary. But now I’ve switched to an adult GP and she prescribes me antibiotics all the time. I usually don’t take them when I feel like it’s not that bad. Like I don’t feel like I need 3 different antibiotics just for a regular cold. Considering that cold is usually a virus, antibiotics won’t even really help but no, she prescribes me 3 different ones. And I’ve heard the same from other people who visit different GPs. So yeah, I would say that overprescription is common here.
I’ve been prescribed it once in my life for smallpox when I was 15.
You have to get a prescription for it in Norway and they don’t just give it out for everything.
There’s been some stories in the news that in some countries where they give it out more often the bacteria becomes antibiotic resistant. And then it’s harder to treat the disease.
You can’t buy them OTC here. The last time I had some was about 12 years ago, prescribed for a confirmed bacterial UTI.
There is definitely still a culture of thinking antibiotics are a cure-all for colds/flu, I’ve had friends complain when their doctor wouldn’t prescribe them.
I think one improvement that needs to be made is really driving home the “complete the course” message. The leaflet usually says “make sure you complete the full course even if you start to feel better” but not everyone reads it and also they don’t explain why, so I’ve known plenty of people stop taking them with like 1/3 of the pack left. You’ve just ensured that any remaining bacteria inside you left to reproduce and spread around, are the ones that were most resistant to the antibiotic.
I can’t remember the last time specifically, but I’ve only been prescribed antibiotics for bladder infections and probably some infections as a kid like strep throat or an ear infection – but you’d have to ask my parents about that! You can’t get them over the counter here in the Netherlands.
In my experience GPs are kind of reluctant to prescribe them, too, but then GPs in the Netherlands just love saying: “Well let’s just wait a bit and see how it will develop before we do anything” 😉
I’ve got them once. I’ve heard of people who feel so bad when they got a normal small viral infection that they get a prescription. I just get two or three sick days and if things would have gotten bad I would have gotten antibiotics.
Last time I was prescribed antibiotics I had a UTI. You can’t buy antibiotics on the counter in Spain.
Antibiotics have to be prescribed every time. It was common to have them prescribed for nearly everything (especially cold-like illness) until a few years ago, when somebody raised the question of overprescribing and now it’s not so common. The education level of people is overall low, however, and most still think these can kill both bacteria and viruses.
Doctors here are increasingly reluctant in prescribing antibiotics, and they are not available OTC; you need a prescription!
Even for things like UTIs, if your infection count is not very high or you are not affected too much by it, they’re likely to send you home, ask you to drink a lot of water and only come back if the infection does not pass in a couple of days. Then they’ll eventually prescribe you antibiotics.
I’ve taken fuckloads, since it seems that I’m very prone to UTI’s and I’ve had a infection resistant to Cefalexin. It passed with another product. In addition I’ve had to take some for a salivary gland infection and wisdom teeth removals.
I’m not a fan, and it’s getting to the point where it’s just better to figure out ways to avoid infection, rather than getting it treated with antibiotics. I’m sure my gut bacteria is fucked. In the end getting them prescribed here is relatively easy, my last UTI i got them over the phone since I have a history of infections. My dad got some for my baby brother’s cold just last week.
Here you cant buy them OTC. The doctors prescribe them rarely or at least that is my viewpoint. The one case where I’ve seen antibiotics being used too much is when the person had COVID. When I was having it my GP did not give me any antibiotics but most people that I know have taken them when they had COVID. Generally speaking, I have taken antibiotics only for serious bacterial infections.
Twice in five years, once for an infected finger and once for infected eczema. Both was a fairly low dose and results were quick. I think the only time I have had them before was for an abscess after a failed filling. No antibiotics are available over the counter so it was a matter of seeing the dentist, to get a note then seeing the doctor for the prescription and some pain killers.