Antibiotics are very powerful medicines that help you fight off bacterial infections. Because of how effective they are and because of the careful guidelines around how they are taken or given, most antibiotics are only accessible through a prescription from your GP. Why? These medicines must be used only when necessary and always taken as directed.
As your local minor ailments pharmacy, we are often asked whether people can access antibiotics by prescription from a pharmacy. The short answer is, sometimes! Let’s unpack what that means so you can feel confident about where and how to seek treatment.
What Does an Antibiotic Do?
Antibiotics are designed to treat or stop the spread of certain kinds of bacterial infection (they are not effective against viral infections). When bad bacteria get into your body, antibiotics can kill the harmful bacteria or prevent them from spreading. That said, antibiotics are not always necessary. Many mild bacterial infections resolve on their own without using antibiotics at all.
Antibiotics are usually prescribed in what is called a ‘course’. This means that you start taking them on a certain day and continue taking all the prescribed antibiotics until they are finished. These can come as something you ingest, something you put on your body, or something you inject (for more serious infections).
You might need antibiotics if your infection is unlikely to clear up without antibiotics, could take too long to clear, has a risk of introducing more serious complications, or if your infection could start infecting others.
There are two very important things to know about antibiotics:
- If you think you might need antibiotics for an infection of some kind, you can seek advice from your local minor ailments pharmacy or head straight to your GP.
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If you are prescribed a course of antibiotics, it’s important to complete the full course as prescribed, or you might risk something called 'antibiotic resistance'.
Why is it important to use antibiotics responsibly?
Missing doses of your antibiotic or stopping your course of antibiotics before it is finished can create something called ‘antibiotic resistance’, which means antibiotics will not work for you in future. Taking antibiotics when you do not need them can also create this issue. The more that bacterial bugs are exposed to antibiotics, the better they get at fighting them off, which can create ‘super bugs’ which are very difficult to treat.
This is why it is important to always take your doctor’s advice on antibiotic courses and complete the full course as prescribed. It’s also why most antibiotics are not available over-the-counter from your local minor ailments pharmacy.
That said, there are one or two exceptions.
When Can A Pharmacy Give You Antibiotics?
If you have certain minor conditions, you might be able to get antibiotics from one of our pharmacists directly without visiting your GP. These are only under certain circumstances, so let’s unpack what those look like:
Uncomplicated Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs)
Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are caused by E coli bacteria getting into your urethra, which can create irritation, pain while urinating, and cloudy, foul-smelling pee.
Most UTIs need antibiotics to go away, and most people with uncomplicated UTIs can access these antibiotics without a prescription from a pharmacist. You’ll need to answer some questions privately before we can proceed. If we think you require different treatment or have more complex needs, we'll let you know immediately.
Bacterial Conjunctivitis (a.k.a. ‘Pink Eye’)
For children over two years of age, our minor ailments pharmacy may be able to supply eye drops or ointment to treat bacterial conjunctivitis if appropriate. We’ll conduct a short assessment to figure out if that is the right treatment, or if referring you or your child to a GP is better.
So, while pharmacists can prescribe antibiotics in New Zealand, it’s only in very limited and controlled ways. In most other instances, although we cannot directly provide antibiotics, we are a great first point of contact if you are unsure about what to do next.
If you are experiencing signs of a serious infection, such as a fever, shakes, nausea, or serious pain, or you think you might need antibiotics that a pharmacy cannot provide, the best thing to do is to go and see your GP as soon as you can for a quick diagnosis and prescription.
If you are unsure about whether you need antibiotics, or you just want advice on how to manage your symptoms, pop into our minor ailments pharmacy to have a chat.
Get quick relief or expert guidance from your local minor ailments pharmacy.
The team at Life Pharmacy is here to help you get relief from all sorts of minor ailments, such as headaches, colds, and indigestion. We also offer personalised advice and guidance if you are experiencing symptoms of an infection and aren’t sure what to do next.
Book a session now at your nearest minor ailments pharmacy.
