A number of retail stores and pharmacies have made efforts in recent years to provide certain prescription medications at either a low rate or free of charge. While laudable in their intent, these policies have great potential to undermine progress that has been made in reducing unnecessary antibiotic use and rates of antimicrobial resistance. This topic has now hit the mainstream media. A recent article in the New York Times highlights the problem with free antibiotics. To read more, click on this link:                     http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/05/health/policy/05drugs.html?_r=1