Should Supermarkets Teach About Antibiotics?

Some supermarkets use flu season to get people interested in their free antibiotics programs.

But the Infectious Diseases Society of America wants the pharmacies to get smart about antibiotics, which will not help treat a viral infection such as influenza. They want the dispensaries to educate customers on when antibiotics can do more harm than good.

The group said, for instance, that overuse of antibiotics helps promote resistant strains such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, often called MRSA or the "superbug."

Studies show many people believe that antibiotics can cure a cold or the flu, and they pressure doctors for prescriptions, according to the IDSA.

"Supermarkets have the power to protect their customers' health," said Dr. Lauri Hicks of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "If they sought to educate people about when antibiotics work and when they don't, they would be doing a great public service."

The CDC offers a "get smart" program to teach about proper antibiotic use.