HCR Passes

[BarTopDancer]

Originally Posted by Morrigoon

I'd also like to see pharmacists empowered to do more. Perhaps release certain medications to a near-OTC situation where a pharmacist can clear a patient to receive it without having to wait for a doctor's visit. Medication for UTI and bladder infections, for example.

Problem with this is it will lead people to self diagnose more than they already are. What if that UTI or bladder infection is really an STD. Instead of being treated for the STD they are treating for the bladder infection while the STD gets worse.

[Morrigoon]

Originally Posted by BarTopDancer

Problem with this is it will lead people to self diagnose more than they already are. What if that UTI or bladder infection is really an STD. Instead of being treated for the STD they are treating for the bladder infection while the STD gets worse.

But how often do people allow a bladder infection to worsen because they can't get to a doctor?

[BarTopDancer]

Originally Posted by Morrigoon

But how often do people allow a bladder infection to worsen because they can't get to a doctor?

Now they can.

I get what your original point was, and some things like allergy medication should be available OTC or nearly OTC. Things that require antibiotics or that have symptoms similar to something more serious should not. Antibiotics are already over-prescribed and should be more controlled (by doctors, not the government), not less (dispensed by a pharmacist after being given a random list of symptoms).

The over-prescribing of antibiotics is personal to me thanks to all the antibiotic resistant strains out there now. I am seriously allergic to anything that ends in 'cillin or is derived from a 'cillin antibiotic - as in if they were to administer penicillin they would have to do it in the hospital because the reaction would be life threatening. There isn't much I can take and if things become resistant to zythromax I'm pretty much SoL.