Overuse of Antibiotics

The over and incorrect use of antibiotics in this country has caused certain pathogens to be drug resistant. I agreed with Dr. Langford’s analysis that the doctor must provide the best treatment possible for every individual patient. When the possibility of infection is present, this often involves prescribing antibiotics. The immediate administration of antibiotics can reduce the duration and severity of disease. Some people may advocate the testing for a specific pathogen before administering antibiotics, to insure the disease could be treated by the drugs prescribed. But tests that determine the exact pathogen of a given disease are expensive and slow. When sick patients come into a clinic, they want medication to cure the illness, not tests that cost more money.

Personally, when I even feel like I may be getting sick, I immediately start a course of a broad spectrum antibiotic. This is especially easy because my dad’s office has “samples” of most common antibiotics. Thus, I am generally protected from bacterial infections, but I may be contributing to bacterial resistance to antibiotics. But this doesn’t concern me much because I will always be more concerned about my own health, than the heath of the “general population.”

I didn’t really disagree with anything that was presented in class. The information presented seemed very accurate, and consistent with what I already believed. But I don’t remember any possible solutions to the problem presented. I would have wanted to hear more about any possible resolutions to the problem at hand.