[hattmall]

It's basically a formality now to get a prescription for what you read on WebMD. Every Insurance has telemedicine, you just call, read the symptom list and get the prescription. Some even let you just email. There's a doctor or at least person with subscribing ability in the loop, but they are barely doing more than rubber stamping hundreds of requests per day.

[sarchertech]

Only for less regulated drugs and for drugs with minimal side effects, or drugs that are relatively cheap.

Mostly for drugs that should probably be OTC anyway. Try doing that for a narcotic, or for an expensive biologic.

You could always lie to a doctor about your symptoms.

[Forgeties79]

Idk man I was in the EU recently as a US citizen. One 15min call about my sore throat and dude gave me not just Tylenol and antibiotics (not too wild) but also oral steroids which was beyond overkill for what I had - very rare moment where I didn’t do what the doctor ordered. I was very surprised to see that prescribed. They didn’t even recommend nexium or anything to protect my stomach.

[sarchertech]

If you’re youngish and healthy a short course of an oral steroid is very low risk and doesn’t require a PPI. And it’s indicated for severe throat pain.

There’s nothing wild about that prescription.

[Forgeties79]

1) not that young and 2) definitely not “severe throat pain.” Drip + mild sore throat that went a few too many days with discolored phlegm. Clearly bacterial infection, clearly needed antibiotics, but definitely not severe

[sarchertech]

Discolored phlegm doesn’t mean bacterial infection. Viral infections, and allergic sinusitis can cause it too.

Bacterial sinus infections are absurdly over treated [1]. It can take weeks to recover from a viral infection.

Not saying that you are a wuss, but my guess is, the doctor probably over-indexed on the throat pain, assumed you were a bit of wuss for calling the doctor for a sore throat, and decided to give you something to make you feel better quickly.

Either way unless you were 65+ a short course of oral steroids is very safe (and even then it’s only very mildly dangerous).

1.https://www.aafp.org/afp/2020/0615/p758

“Without antibiotics, rhinosinusitis resolved in 46% of patients after one week and in 64% of patients after 14 days.

Antibiotics can shorten time to resolution but in only five to 11 more people per 100 compared with placebo or no treatment.

Despite this, approximately 86% of U.S. ambulatory visits for acute rhinosinusitis result in oral antibiotic prescriptions.1 In Europe, antibiotic prescription rates for acute rhinosinusitis in primary care range from 72% to 92%”

[Forgeties79]

“Doctors don’t prescribe things unnecessarily. This guy must be a wuss. I can say that with the very little context I have.”

I think we’re done here man.