Ever had the experience of walking out of a pharmacy very disappointed because the person behind the counter wouldn’t sell you meds without a “reseta” or a doctor’s prescription?
(And you don’t know how to tell the patient waiting at home that you failed in your mission just because you didn’t have a slip of paper containing some illegible information.)
You probably wanted some antibiotic ending in “-lin,” “-cline,” “-rin,” “-xin” or “-cin” and the pharmacist made you feel like it was a “sin” to buy it without some document.
In this post, we’ll learn about antibiotics and why pharmacies don’t just hand them out like candies.
What are Antibiotics?
“Antibiotics” are bacteria’s worst nightmare. These are powerful drugs that kill or prevent the spread of bacteria in the body. As such, they are prescribed for serious infections that have proven too much for an individual’s immune system to handle.
Doctors prescribe them for infections like:
UTI
Strep throat
Whooping cough
Dental infections
Bladder infections
Kidney infections
Some ear and sinus infections
Clostridioides difficile
That’s just for starters. Antibiotics are a powerful class of drugs and can cover a broad range of bacterial infections.
But here’s the thing: Antibiotics don’t do squat against viruses.
They’re very powerful when it comes to bacteria, but they don’t work against viruses. (That’s why antibiotics were not used against the Coronavirus.)
That’s a very important distinction because it means that when it comes to things like colds, runny nose, or flu, antibiotics are not the way to go.
(And, in a sinus or ear infection, for example, we don’t know if the condition was caused by a bacteria or virus. So most likely, your doctor would have to order tests to find this out.)
So, why are pharmacies so strict?
Pharmacies are not out to ruin your day. They are the custodians of our medicines, and it is their job to ensure that drugs are distributed judiciously.
#1 The “Reseta” Requirement: It’s the law
Antibiotics are not available over the counter for a good reason. First of all, pharmacies are prohibited from dispensing these types of medicines without a valid prescription from a physician (Republic Act No. 10918 or the Philippine Pharmacy Act).
Besides that, a prescription ensures that a qualified healthcare professional has assessed the patient's condition, confirming that antibiotics are indeed necessary and that the chosen drug and dosage are suitable.
Without the reseta requirement, people will play doctor and could do more harm than good.
Antibiotics are powerful tools. In unqualified hands, they can cause serious damage. The law exists to protect against misuse and abuse.
#2 Patient Safety
When it comes to antibiotics, there are several issues that impact patient safety. Don’t forget that these drugs are powerful and pack quite a punch. So nobody should take them haphazardly.
Antibiotics may have significant interactions with other medications. Often, they can disrupt the normal effects of these other medications and render them ineffective. So before prescribing antibiotics, doctors often ask patients what medications they’re taking or if they have any pre-existing medical condition.
Doctors must also decide on the appropriate drug and dosage to prescribe for a specific case. For example, because they are quite potent, doctors need to adjust dosages for patients with kidney or liver conditions.
The elderly and children metabolize the drugs differently, so dosage and course of treatment are also adjusted accordingly.
Certain antibiotics are not recommended for pregnant and breastfeeding mothers as well.
So there are a lot of issues when it comes to safety, and this does not even count the possibility that a patient can be allergic to an antibiotic.
As a drug, it comes with a range of side effects:
rash, itching, or hives
nausea
headache
dizziness
vomiting
diarrhea
swelling of the face, lips, or tongue
difficulty breathing
decreased white blood cell count
decreased platelet count
electrolyte imbalance
liver dysfunction
kidney dysfunction
joint pain etc.
The side effects will vary depending on the individual and the type of drug.
#3 Antibiotic Resistance
Alexander Fleming, famous for his discovery of penicillin, predicted that misuse of drugs could result in superbugs that would be resistant to antibiotics, rendering them ineffective.
And that’s actually what’s happening in the world today. So much so that antibiotic resistance is considered one of the most serious health issues we are facing as a society.
Medicines that are used to kill bacteria don’t work anymore. That is, the bacteria have evolved and developed resistance to the drugs.
This situation has been brought about by the misuse and abuse of antibiotics. We see rampant overprescription, underdosing, and incomplete courses.
The thing with antibiotics is that they have to wipe out the entire population practically, otherwise, the remaining ones will come back with a vengeance—stronger and harder to kill.
For example, underdosing is one of the ways resistance is developed. Underdosing can kill some bacteria but leave behind a surviving population that has been partially exposed and has developed resistance to the drug. Over time, this remaining strain would reproduce and grow in numbers as drug-resistant bacteria.
Pharmacies are playing their part in delaying or slowing down this process so that the medicines that we have will remain effective against common strains. Drug development companies, for their part, are playing catch up and are developing more potent solutions to deal with drug-resistant strains.
How To Take Antibiotics Properly
#1 Don’t play doctor
Yes, there’s much to be said about saving money or the bother of going to the clinic. Filipinos love playing doctor and medicating themselves when they seem familiar with a condition. Or they love to ask friends and relatives what doctors have prescribed in the past. That beats setting up an appointment and sitting for hours in a waiting room for a few minutes of consultation.
But in the long run, the time and effort put into going to a qualified health practitioner is worth the proper diagnosis and treatment.
So go talk to your doctor and provide him with all necessary information, including major symptoms and the medications you’re taking. He will determine if you even need antibiotics, and which one.
So don’t fancy yourself a doctor, especially in cases where an antibiotic might be involved.
#2 Follow your doctor’s orders
Always take antibiotics as prescribed. This includes dosage, timing/frequency, and duration of treatment. Do not play fast and loose with your doctor’s instructions.
Take the meds at the same time each day to maintain a consistent level of the medicine in your system and ensure its effectiveness.
Don’t forget to carefully follow additional instructions written on the reseta. If it says to take the meds with food, then do it. If it says to avoid alcohol, then do so.
#3 Complete the Full Course
This is very important. You may feel better after a few days, but you need to continue taking the antibiotic and complete the full treatment.
For example, you’re instructed to take antibiotics for 7 days. If you feel fine and dandy on the 4th day, that’s not a sign for you to stop taking meds. Continue taking it until you finish the whole course.
Remember, you don’t want bacteria hanging around and coming back stronger.
#4 Do not share your medication
You might be tempted to share your medication with someone who shares the same malady. Sharing is usually a good thing, but not in this case. Prescriptions and dosages are given to an individual’s specific case. (So take the exact number of capsules or tablets prescribed.)
By sharing, you’re not only depriving yourself of the full course of treatment, you might adversely impact the person you’ve given medicines to.
#5 Store medicines properly
Some antibiotics may require refrigeration. Others should be kept at room temperature. Proper storage ensures that the medication you’re taking is still in good condition. There’s no sense in taking medicine that has gone bad.
Antibiotics are an effective way of fighting against bacterial infections. However, abusing or misusing them could lead to situations like patient harm and antibiotic resistance. Pharmacies are merely doing their part in ensuring that antibiotics are given only to individuals who need them. Visit your doctor to get proper guidance on the use of these drugs.
BloodWorks Lab is your partner in health and well-being. We perform the blood tests medical screenings and assessments that help your doctor diagnose your condition and recommend appropriate treatment.
BloodWorks also offers a broad range of check-up packages to suit your every need. As a premier laboratory facility, we were the first in the country to offer the Anti Acetylcholine Receptor (lgG) Antibody Test and the Anti N-Methyl-D-Aspartate Receptor (Anti NMDA Receptor) Antibody Test.
Book your appointment today.
Our branches are in Alabang, Katipunan, and Cebu.