2 ms·

Well I wouldn't say terrible person. The problem is that this is not well explained and so most people just do not understand the problems associated with not c

by gommm 15y ago

Well I wouldn't say terrible person. The problem is that this is not well explained and so most people just do not understand the problems associated with not completing the antibiotic treatment prescribed by the doctor... It's good that he asked and now he will know why it's important and will do it.. It's a failure of education if intelligent and educated people are not aware of the consequences.

harshreality 15y ago
It doesn't have to be well explained. Instructions for antibiotic prescriptions from a licensed doctor/pharmacy tells you to take the full course of antibiotics and not quit part way through. I wonder what other prescription instructions he disregards... drug interaction warnings? You don't get to disregard those just because you're not familiar with the biochemistry involved. Or, what about, "Do not look into 1W laser with remaining good eye?" If you don't know what a laser is or why it might be bad to look into it, you either research the issue, or you follow those instructions blindly (pun intended). You don't blow them off and then ask HN why looking into class 4 lasers is bad after both your eyes are damaged. It's good that they finally asked, though. It should have been asked a long time ago, and not on HN, I think that's the point of the downvotes.
- anon123890 15y ago
  > It doesn't have to be well explained. Instructions for antibiotic prescriptions from a licensed doctor/pharmacy tells you to take the full course of antibiotics and not quit part way through. Why shouldn't it be well explained? It's not like it's rare for doctors to prescribe things people don't really need, especially in this day and age, in the USA.
- Confusion 15y ago
  I don't doubt that you regularly do not follow instructions. Everyone knows many instructions err on the side of caution and not literally following them doesn't add any risks. Almost everyone crosses the street when the light is red, but there is not a car in sight (and the view is clear). Many people will use perishable products after their guaranteed 'fresh until' period. However, this also happens for instructions you don't actually know the reason for. People will mentally substitute a convenient reason. Take the antibiotics for 3 weeks? "Yeah, probably because it sometimes takes 3 weeks for the infection to be gone. It probably doesn't hurt to stop after 2 weeks; I mean, what could it do?". People are not even aware of reasoning in such a way and saying "it doesn't have to be well explained" disregards that well known fact about human psychology. If you want people to do something, explain why. In fact, that even works when your reason doesn't make any sense. "Can I please use the copy machine before you, because I have to make some copies of these documents" will get more compliance than "Can I please use the copy machine before you".
asto 15y ago
In India, not many people have access to a decent education let alone access to the internet where you can freely read up on any medication that you are prescribed. Many of the doctors here are assholes who will prescribe antibiotics for even the common cold saying "most of our patients want antibiotics so we give it to them". I wouldn't call the average person without the access to knowledge and resources that the average HN user has a terrible person for abusing antibiotics in this fashion but in my opinion, swizec should know better.

by gommm 15y ago

harshreality 15y ago

It doesn't have to be well explained. Instructions for antibiotic prescriptions from a licensed doctor/pharmacy tells you to take the full course of antibiotics and not quit part way through. I wonder what other prescription instructions he disregards... drug interaction warnings? You don't get to disregard those just because you're not familiar with the biochemistry involved. Or, what about, "Do not look into 1W laser with remaining good eye?" If you don't know what a laser is or why it might be bad to look into it, you either research the issue, or you follow those instructions blindly (pun intended). You don't blow them off and then ask HN why looking into class 4 lasers is bad after both your eyes are damaged. It's good that they finally asked, though. It should have been asked a long time ago, and not on HN, I think that's the point of the downvotes.

anon123890 15y ago
> It doesn't have to be well explained. Instructions for antibiotic prescriptions from a licensed doctor/pharmacy tells you to take the full course of antibiotics and not quit part way through. Why shouldn't it be well explained? It's not like it's rare for doctors to prescribe things people don't really need, especially in this day and age, in the USA.
Confusion 15y ago
I don't doubt that you regularly do not follow instructions. Everyone knows many instructions err on the side of caution and not literally following them doesn't add any risks. Almost everyone crosses the street when the light is red, but there is not a car in sight (and the view is clear). Many people will use perishable products after their guaranteed 'fresh until' period. However, this also happens for instructions you don't actually know the reason for. People will mentally substitute a convenient reason. Take the antibiotics for 3 weeks? "Yeah, probably because it sometimes takes 3 weeks for the infection to be gone. It probably doesn't hurt to stop after 2 weeks; I mean, what could it do?". People are not even aware of reasoning in such a way and saying "it doesn't have to be well explained" disregards that well known fact about human psychology. If you want people to do something, explain why. In fact, that even works when your reason doesn't make any sense. "Can I please use the copy machine before you, because I have to make some copies of these documents" will get more compliance than "Can I please use the copy machine before you".

asto 15y ago

In India, not many people have access to a decent education let alone access to the internet where you can freely read up on any medication that you are prescribed. Many of the doctors here are assholes who will prescribe antibiotics for even the common cold saying "most of our patients want antibiotics so we give it to them". I wouldn't call the average person without the access to knowledge and resources that the average HN user has a terrible person for abusing antibiotics in this fashion but in my opinion, swizec should know better.