While antibiotics have certainly benefited many in myriad ways, an overuse of antibiotics may be changing our entire bacterial makeup, says Dr. Martin Blaser, chairman of the department of medicine at New York University Langone Medical Center.

In his opinion piece published in the journal Nature, Blaser implores doctors to be more prudent in prescribing antibiotics because of these potential changes, and because overprescribing can cause antibiotic resistance, which has received much attention in recent years.

"Antibiotics are miraculous," Blaser told ABC News. "They've changed health and medicine over the last 70 years. But when doctors prescribe antibiotics, it is based on the belief that there are no long-term effects. We've seen evidence that suggests antibiotics may permanently change the beneficial bacteria that we're carrying."

In the editorial, Blaser hypothesized that the overuse of antibiotics may even be fueling the "dramatic increase" in many illnesses, including type 1 diabetes, allergies and inflammatory bowel disease by destroying the body's friendly flora, or protective bacteria.

Complete article below

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/antibiotics-bad-good-bacteria/story?id=14374547#.UYkrHqLiiSo

Unfortunately, everybody plays Doctor in Nigeria.

If prescription and dispensing of meds is limited to those that are legally allowed to do so, some of the problems with healthcare may be mnimized.

I have seen lots of people taking the wrong meds for a wrong diagnosis.

What can be done to correct this problem?

same lawlessness we exprience in every area of our existence in this country.sometimes i wonder how we survive. Who regulates what? Bribery,corruption,mediocrity. I went for malaria & typhoid test at a private medical lab last week,the result said i had both and the 'doctor' requested to treat me if i wished!