I'm curious, what is your specialty? To be clear, I agree with you and believe it would be a bad thing if mothers and fathers could buy antibiotics for every gash and flu.
But, I can't go discuss a problem with my pharmacist then buy a generic. And, I would be surprised to hear I can go directly to a specialist, even if I pay cash instead going through insurance. Just saying, it's difficult.
To be clear, I agree with you and believe it would be a bad thing if mothers and fathers could buy antibiotics for every gash and flu.
They can, actually. All of the more common antibiotics are marketed for use in fish tanks and can be bought with no prescription from aquarium stores or ordered from Amazon. Looking up the markings on the pills shows them to be exactly the same pills you'd get from a pharmacy with a prescription.
Of course, you should have a pretty good idea of what sort of bacterium you're infected with before you take antibiotics. If you live with two people who are diagnosed with strep throat, and your tonsils swell up a day later, you probably don't need a culture to tell what you have. Don't abuse antibiotics.
But, I can't go discuss a problem with my pharmacist then buy a generic. And, I would be surprised to hear I can go directly to a specialist, even if I pay cash instead going through insurance. Just saying, it's difficult.