As grocery store chains across the country try to keep up with the competition by offering free or inexpensive antibiotics, the cost actually might end up being high.
Pharmacies such as Krogers or Publix have been offering free or cheap antibiotics in order to keep up with the Joneses, Wal-Mart specifically. But will this new marketing scheme encourage misuse and abuse of the medicine?
Five of the large U.S. retailers have apparently received letters from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention cautioning pharmacies that giving away antibiotics will lead to the rise of ore drug-resistant bugs.
Dr. Lauri Hicks of the CDC states, “We were a little alarmed, especially when they suggested they’d be doing it during cold and flu season.”
“We know that antibiotics aren’t effective for cold and flu. We don’t want to perpetuate the idea that they are.”
How are your local pharmacy chains handling this situation?
