Musings: Drug kit direct sales a danger
A television. Credit: Getty Images / iStockphoto
I am concerned about the growing promotion of “emergency antibiotic kits” being sold directly to consumers via TV and other media advertisements.
These kits are marketed as all-purpose solutions for infections, but using potent prescription medications without a proper diagnosis is dangerous. The advertisements purport to have a physician telephone number for the prescription, an added guidance brochure for use, and rapid shipment to one's home.
Antibiotics and antiparasitic medications are designed for specific conditions. Guessing which drug to take can delay appropriate treatment, cause harmful side effects, and fuel antibiotic resistance. >> Some kits even include ivermectin — an antiparasitic with no proven role in common infections — giving buyers a misleading sense of protection.
Emergency preparedness matters. However, handing out broad-spectrum drug bundles and self-medicating is not responsible infectious disease medical care. Accurate diagnosis and professional guidance remain essential for safe and effective pharmacotherapy.
This type of access to care is a risky public health issue.
Brian R. Malone, Halesite
The writer retired as the administrative director of pharmacy at NYU Langone Hospital -Long Island.
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