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[Clansgian AT wmconnect.com]

Marie writes:

> The one really good reason to have antibiotics available by prescription
> only is to save antibiotics from being overused and creating resistant
> strains. Alas, doctors have been overprescribing and patients have been
> overdemanding and overusing antibiotics to such an extent that new ones
> don't stay effective for long.
> 
> Education would go a long way to save antibiotics, but we don't seem capable
> as a society of that.

I worked for eleven years in the antibiotic research division of (gasp) GSK.  
The resistence argument has been forwarded for years, but in countries where 
no prescription for antibiotics is required, there is not increase in 
resistence.

Basically all antibiotics are one of two things:

1) Penicillin based
      or
2) Toxic

Penicillin was a unique discovery and gift from Nature.  There has not been 
anything resembling it since.  It is as completely harmless as any substance 
can be and yet for a great range of bacteria, it is devastating.  All other 
antibiotics are to some extent a poison that will impair the bacteria but (it 
is 
hoped) do the patient little harm.  Most do that.  But most of the new 
generation antibiotics  are becoming more and more toxic.  And who cares?  
All 
medicines are becoming alarmingly toxic for example statin drugs which are 
very toxic 
to the liver.  Eat better, exercise, and lose weight to control cholesterol?  
Noooo, blast your liver with toxins instead.

James