Tyler Burslie's article review

Dr. Elaine Larson, Dr. Lorena Grullon-Figueroa.(2004). Availability of Antibiotics without Prescription in New York City. Journal of Urban Health; Vol. 81 Issue: Number 3 p498-504, 7p

This article takes a sample of a demographic from Manhattan, New York and gave numbers as to how much antibiotics are available on and off the shelf in the pharmacies and grocery stores in which they conducted the study. During the study they investigated pharmacies and grocery stores in a Hispanic, Black and, Caucasian neighborhood. The study was taken place in 101 different stores; 37 in Black neighborhood, 34 in the Hispanic, and 30 in a Caucasian neighborhood. During the investigation, all 34 stores in the Hispanic neighborhood were found to be selling antibiotics either off the shelf or by simply asking. The other two neighborhoods referred patrons to the Hispanic neighborhood since they were found to be not having any antibiotics for sale over the counter or off the shelf. The survey of shops was intended to see how and if any quantity of antibiotics could be bought without a doctors prescription.

Although they surveyors were able to obtain information about where a person could get off the shelf prescriptions, I don't really agree with the limited neighborhoods surveyed in New York City. The surveyors only sampled Manhattan. I would think to get a more accurate number they would have tested other parts of New York City. Larson and Grullon-Figueroa do go on to make several strong points as to why they are seeing more antibiotics being bought over the shelf. One reason is that people immigrating to the U.S.A. don't have a lot of money for health care and rely on these types of places to get the medicine that they need. On the other hand this is perfect scenario for misusing antibiotics to take place. Without the aid of a qualified doctor, the people taking these antibiotics, may start a long trend of bacterial resistance.

I chose this article because it shows how easy it really is to get antibiotics and how the misuse of them could potentially harm us. What I want to do is research other articles that deal with the same type of scenario that i read about in Larson's and Grullon-Figueroa's survey.I also intend to do research about people's general knowledge of antibiotic use and the potential dangers of misuse. The survey that I am proposing to do will be a little different that the one i just read about. I don't intend to find out where or what part of a neighborhood i can get off the shelf antibiotics. I intend to just get basic knowledge from people about their medicating habits and if they know about the dangers of not being responsible when it comes to antibiotics.