[aaaaaA3]

>Not sure anyone really would want to operate on themselves (because the need for a surgeon in an important event in their life is somehow "wrong").

Not operate, but since over here in Europe just about any piece of paper passes as a prescription, I tend to print my own. (Most people don't know this, but EU pharmacies are required to accept prescriptions from other EU countries. There's no standard format or verification procedure, so forgery is trivial even if your country has a more secure domestic system)

What's the point of going to (or even calling) a doctor for an antibiotics prescription? It's not like they're going to perform blood tests before prescribing. Want some Cialis for the weekend? Why go to a doctor? You can just pull up the contraindications on Google. Why bother doctor shopping for Ozempic? Just print your own prescription.

[short_sells_poo]

At least in Switzerland, I always had to have blood tests done before the doctor would prescribe anti-biotics. The core issue you have is with the doctor prescribing things willy-nilly.

[aaaaaA4]

That might be a thing in some EU countries, but it's certainly not the norm across the EU. You can still buy antibiotics without a prescription in many EU countries, for example in Spain it's entirely dependent on the pharmacist.

[RandomLensman]

Pretty sure, sometimes a doctor might know more than you on a prescription or their educated guess on which antibiotic is appropriate is better than yours, for example.

[aaaaaA3]

Hey, I definitely agree.

On the other hand, every time I've gone to the doctor with a cold, I've always been prescribed the same antibiotic after basically no examination.

If I had some new, unexpected symptoms, I'd probably want to at least call the doctor.

[scatters]

You do realize that antibiotics are completely ineffective against a cold? You're wrecking your digestive system and risking antibiotic resistance for nothing. If your doctor is prescribing antibiotics, either they're a terrible doctor, or they're a bad doctor and you're a worse patient.

[aaaaaA4]

Yes, sorry. That's just language barrier raising it's head. What I meant was strep throat, obviously there's not much of a point in taking antibiotics for a viral infection.

I don't need a doctor to inspect my tonsils, I have access to a phone with a flashlight.

And for what it's worth, I think I've taken antibiotics twice in the past 4 years. Always according to the instructions on the packaging.

[meindnoch]

Wait, what? I can just print a foreign prescription for Adderall or Dilaudid and the pharmacy will accept it? I don't think that would work...

[brrrrrt]

It depends on the country, usually there are national rules requiring special prescriptions for "fun" drugs like that.

If you can pick up drugs like that with an ordinary private prescription in your country, a foreign prescription should work.

For further information:

https://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/health/prescription-me...

https://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/health/prescription-me...