I think as a rule people aren't as stupid as "common knowledge" would like to pretend.
My 18mo daughter has had a half dozen ear infections and two staph infections. Antibiotics each time.
Would it be better to leave a staph infection untreated with antibiotics? How? Lance and clean the infection site... and then what?
Or ear infections? I had frequent undiagnosed ear infections as a small child and now have reduced hearing to thank for it. My entire life I've had people annoyed with me asking them to repeat themselves. Some ear infections may clear up on their own. The ENT has told us this is unlikely in 12mo or younger ages since cranial structures aren't in place that allows excess fluid to drain. We can let her have a fever for a day or two, and give Tylenol, but all that's going to do is delay the necessary antibiotics. We could also have tubes inserted in her ears, but it's not like those are without risks or downsides either.
Since people don't have to play the lottery with their hearing or their lives anymore because they have access to antibiotics now sure, maybe that has some scary consequences. But it's not like people are popping them for a headache or skinned knee. And insulting people may make some feel superior, but it doesn't actually solve anything or even hint at a possible solution. You don't just "ride these things (staph) out" and hope for the best. There are consequences to going all granola "nature will take care of itself".
The thing with Tragedy of the Commons -- which is exactly what the antibiotic situation is -- is that the decisions which are optimum for each individual actor in isolation are suboptimal on the whole.
I don't know much about the varieties of ear infections babies get, but if the ear infection is viral, I can't see how an antibiotic would help. I used to have a problem with ear infections and I've had a doctor tell me the infection is viral and then offer me antibiotics in the same breath.
I think I've been prescribed antibiotics for an obviously viral infection one time in my adult life. I can count the number of times (in my late 30s) that I've been prescribed antibiotics as an adult on one hand.
When you factor in that people just don't go to Dr's all that often in the US, especially the poor, I'd need to see some actual data before I believe this is a grossly American problem. Because given other factors, you'd be forgiven for thinking something doesn't add up with that characterization.
I would for example, imagine it's much more of an issue in the UK with people having cheap convenient access to the NHS.
In the US I'd have to find a Dr, and if I'm uninsured that means spending a half-day at the ER, and then I'd have to take that Rx to a Pharmacy, who's going to offer me a generic at an uninsured price that's probably somewhere around my grocery budget.
If it's an issue at all (comparable to countries with socialized medicine) in the US it would almost have to be an exclusively middle to upper class behavior.
That's a good deal of the population that just doesn't play the game.
Honestly, framing this as a Stupid Fat American problem reads like "Are Antibiotics Going to Kill Your Children?!? Find out tonight on XYZ News at 6PM!!!". Those stories are definitely out there and pretty pervasive. It would be pretty ironic if Geeks with Superiority Complexes were being feed their dogma by "common knowledge" based on soundbites from the nightly news...
Not to dismiss this as a problem. But insulting people (even comparably low quality-of-life Americans) doesn't get us any closer to a solution. And blaming those people, already stretched thin by work hours, insurance costs (if they even have it), day care, trying to ensure they get to sit down for a family dinner, go to work sick so they can afford the time off for a family vacation that they're the problem because they're just dumb Americans is... It's to express in words how petty and mean spirited that comes off as.
Amoxicillin hasn't been prescribed by our Dr after it failed to do anything for the first ear infection. The Pharmacy isn't just going to substitute different antibiotics for you either.
So $230 for the course. So sure. Amoxicillin is cheap. So is Tylenol. What's your point? After the Dr's visit you're still likely out at least $100, not to mention time off work, and that's if the "cheap stuff" even works. You can't get this stuff OTC.
I stand by my statement: Without data I think it's a lot easier to believe that places with socialized medicine and generous labor laws for things like sick time are much more likely to see abuse.
