How to get antibiotics without seeing a doctor

Key takeaways

• Telehealth services offer a convenient way to consult with healthcare professionals online and potentially receive a diagnosis and prescription for antibiotics without an in-person visit.
• Depending on the state, pharmacists may have the authority to prescribe antibiotics for certain uncomplicated bacterial infections, providing another avenue for obtaining medication without a traditional doctor’s appointment.
• Urgent care or walk-in clinics can be an alternative for receiving a prescription, especially when a regular doctor’s appointment is difficult to schedule or the condition requires prompt attention.

Need a diagnosis or prescription quickly? Optum Perks offers personalized on-demand care in as little as 15 minutes. For $29, answer a few questions online and receive a diagnosis and treatment plan from a US-licensed healthcare professional. Get started here.

Overview

If you have a bacterial infection, it’s usually important that you speak with a healthcare professional. But making an appointment can be difficult, expensive, or inconvenient, so you may be wondering if it’s possible to get antibiotics without seeing a doctor.

Antibiotics are not available over the counter (OTC). However, some options include telehealth services, such as online care services, and speaking with a pharmacist. However, it’s important to always use antibiotics safely and as prescribed to avoid any complications.

Online care for antibiotics

Online care services, also known as telehealth or virtual care, allow you to speak with a healthcare professional online without the need to make an in-person appointment. This can happen in the form of a phone or video call. Or you may fill in a form about your symptoms, and a healthcare professional will get back to you within a few hours.

For example, Optum Perks offers an online care service where you can receive a diagnosis and a treatment plan in as little as 15 minutes.

The services that online doctors can provide may vary by state and by provider. But many can diagnose and prescribe medications for various common conditions, including bacterial infections such as:

• skin infections
• respiratory infections
• ear infections
• urinary tract infections (UTIs)

Healthcare professionals may have some concerns about prescribing antibiotics via online care services. For example, it may be difficult to diagnose a bacterial infection without a physical examination or diagnostic tests.

And according to a 2021 review, antibiotics may even be overprescribed by telehealth services, as providers are anxious about underprescribing them.

But with the proper precautions — including education for doctors and careful tracking and reporting — online care services can be a good option for people to receive antibiotics without the need to see a doctor in person.

Speak with a pharmacist

Depending on your location, pharmacists may be able to prescribe antibiotics for mild, uncomplicated bacterial infections, such as UTIs. According to some 2021 research, pharmacists being able to prescribe antibiotics is beneficial and well-received by patients.

In the United States, whether or not a pharmacist can prescribe antibiotics or other medications is state-dependent. It may be worth visiting your local pharmacy and speaking with a pharmacist to see whether they can prescribe antibiotics.

Urgent care and walk-in clinics

If you’re unable to make an appointment with a doctor, another option to receive a prescription is visiting urgent care or walk-in clinics. While these options do involve seeing a doctor, you don’t need to make an appointment and can usually be seen the same day.

Urgent care is a very common place for antibiotics to be prescribed. According to a 2019 paper, antibiotics were prescribed in 34% of urgent care visits, with respiratory infections making up 61% of all antibiotics prescribed.

Urgent care may be a better option than making a doctor’s appointment if you need to be seen outside of office hours, if you feel your condition is urgent, or if you don’t have a regular primary care provider.

Why doctors are necessary for antibiotics

While antibiotics are essential medications to manage bacterial infections, it’s important that doctors are cautious when prescribing them, and they may not always be the answer.

It’s important to only take antibiotics when you need them and to take them exactly as prescribed. They’ll only work for bacterial infections and will not make you feel better if you have a virus such as the flu.

One of the biggest reasons that doctors are cautious about prescribing antibiotics is the risk of antimicrobial resistance. This is when the bacteria become stronger and are able to resist the drugs used to kill them, which can happen any time antibiotics are used and lead to strains of bacteria that can’t be treated.

This is why antibiotics aren’t available over the counter (OTC), and they must be prescribed by a healthcare professional. Experts want to make sure that antibiotics are completely necessary before prescribing them.

While it’s possible to get antibiotics without making an in-person doctor’s appointment, it’s still necessary to speak with a healthcare professional — whether through telehealth services, a pharmacist, or urgent care.

Summary

If you have a bacterial infection, you’ll likely need medications called antibiotics. These drugs are only available on prescription and can’t be bought OTC. This means you’ll need to speak with a healthcare professional to receive a diagnosis.

However, you may not need to see a doctor to get a prescription. In some states, pharmacists are able to prescribe some medications like antibiotics. Online care services are also an option. Finally, you may consider visiting urgent care.

It’s important to only take antibiotics as prescribed to avoid antibiotic resistance.

Download the free Optum Perks Discount Card to save up to 80% on many prescription medications. Plus, you can now get them delivered to your home in as little as 3 days. Search for your medication here.