Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Health

On Health and Money Blog -- U.S. News & World Report

Antibiotics—Even Free Ones—Won't Cure Most Winter Ills

January 07, 2009 01:01 PM ET | Michelle Andrews | Permanent Link | Print

Reader Comments

People die

Let me see. If the poor can't afford the medicine then it's better because they can't take it and it won't contribute to the medicines becoming resistant?

Kinda like let the poor suffer and maybe die so the rest can have their potent and working meds?

What do they think is going to happen? Doctors are going to write prescriptions for the people that are well or the sick will have a chance of not dying by being able to fill the prescriptions they need but others don't want them to have because it might mean they will contribute to the weakening of the drugs ability to work for them that have money to pay for it.

antibiotic resistance

I wanted to correct a misunderstanding. Humans do not 'become' resistant to antibiotics from overusing them. We are already resistant! That is why we can take them without too much harm (hopefully) being done to us. It is the microbes that are in danger of becoming resistant by the killing off of the sensitive portion of the population and leaving behind the resistant portion if one exits for that population (natural selection).

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About On Health and Money

Senior Writer Michelle Andrews reports on how to be a smart health consumer and get the best care for your money. Write to her at onhealthmoney@usnews.com.

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