At a time of almost universal anxiety about the state of the economy and rising unemployment rates, a local grocery store chain is making an effort to ease their customers’ burden. The consequences of their generosity may not be as noble as the intent, however.

Stop&Shop grocery stores recently announced a new promotion in which their pharmacies will dispense a 14-day supply of generic antibiotics (with a valid prescription) at no charge, through March of this year. The tag line for this promotion: “You didn’t pay for the germs, why pay for the antibiotics?”

Photo courtesy of Wikimedia

At first glance, this seems great. Makes sense, right? Reducing the cost of healthcare is always a good thing. There is more to cost than money, however, especially in this case. The “free antibiotics” promotion brought up all sorts of ethical, epidemiological, and sociological questions in my mind (and not only mine. Doctors have already spoken up against this promotion).

First off, who is this promotion supposed to benefit anyway? Technically, there are not supposed to be any more people in Massachusetts without health insurance. Technically. Those who remain without health insurance (and I am willing to bet there are more than a few), would still need a doctor’s prescription to take advantage of the promotion – a prescription they are going to have trouble getting. Secondly, antibiotics are already massively over-prescribed in this country. Will this “free antibiotic” promotion push doctors to prescribe them even more? Especially when facing pressure from the patients who want a “cure,” some pill to take that will make them feel better, even if a bacterial infection isn’t the culprit? Will the patients be less likely to take the full course of antibiotics if they feel they are no longer a precious, expensive commodity, thus promoting the emergence of resistant strains?

I do feel bad looking a gift horse in the mouth, but I think there are bigger issues at stake than simply making every day life affordable. Making it easier and cheaper to acquire antibiotics may cost more in the long run. Am I just being cynical and a curmudgeon (I have been called worse, by the way)? What do y’all think?