Image by Andrew Jacobs and Matt Ritchtel-New York times
In their article, they describe the abundance of non-prescribed and unregulated antibiotics in Kenya. Like in many other underdeveloped countries, antibiotics are not regulated. There are many small shops who carry and sell amoxicillin on request. You can bay any amount of pills as long as you pay for them. This practice is not restricted to Kenya and third world countries, it happens in the US everyday. For example, it is easy to find any antibiotics, pain medications, even birth control pills in the local flea market or small town bakery in the poorer communities. While I was working in a rural community, my biggest competitor for treating patients was the local bakery. In addition, even if people obtain antibiotics legally with a doctor visit and prescription, patients still fail to take antibiotics correctly and still contribute to antibiotic resistance. We must continue to educate our patients about the proper use of antibiotics.
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