I’m looking forward to your answers to this one . . .
I was prescribed an antibiotic ointment this wee kby my friend/hunk/doctor, who reads this blog and even comments here. It is to be applied sparingly, and not for too long. There is 30 grams of the stuff in the tube, and I doubt I will use more than a few grams, which means I will be left with 27 grams of ointment that will sit in a cupboard until the expiry date, then thrown out. I mean, there doesn’t seem to be any other practical uses for it. I dunno: maybe I could use it on door hinges or something.
This isn’t the first time I have been prescribed way more ointment than I could possibly use. I was prescribed about the same amount of another ointment for contact dermatitis, with the same sort of instructions: use sparingly, and not for too long. The pharmacist split the prescription and gave me two smaller tubes (15 grams each). So, I still have one unopened tube and another that is almost full (both expired) — the problem was cured within 5 days.
So, why do doctors do it? Why do they seemingly prescribe much more ointment than a patient will need? Is it because they feel too much is better than not enough? Or . . .?
Jillian
Jillian Page 
Best to just pick up a small tube from a nurse (sample amount is all). Docs are busy and drop dead lovely women, like you, come in trying to sell their “toys” –RX Reps are those that I am referencing. Antibiotics are available in very small tubes.
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Current tube is .33 ounces or 9 grams for my Canuck friends. It is a triple antibiotic ointment as was less than $2.
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The manufacturer might not make it in a smaller quantity. The 30 gm. tube that I was prescribed for poison ivy last year….glad it has a 2-yr. expiration.
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Most topical meds come in standard-sized tubes: 15-, 30-, or 60-grams (which is rounding out in metric of 1/2-, 1-, and 2-oz). A few things come in 500-g jars (1 lbs) which the pharmacist can transfer to smaller jars. As a practical matter, they just don’t manufacture smaller or odd sizes, except for samples (and they rarely sample cheap medications). As someone who hates waste, I understand your feelings, but as someone who (sort of) understands manufacturing, stockage, and supply chains, I understand why they do it that way.
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So, why would a doctor prescribe 30 grams when he or she could prescribe 15 grams?
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I said “most” come in those sizes. Each manufacturer makes the decision on sizes for each product. (This is true about all products, not just medications, and equally true if a government makes things instead of a private company.) With upwards of 14000 medications on the market in Canada, and pharmacists allowed to make generic substitutions (and each generics manufacturer has their range of sizes), often a doctor will write “1 tube” and the pharmacist will sort it out. The pharmacist also cannot stock every single size by every single manufacturer. The cost of the manufacturing process, shipping, and stockage is often as much or more than the cost of the item manufactured.
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maybe that particular med doesn’t come in a smaller quantity but, if there is a long expiry date, he figures just in case it flares up again, you won’t have to spend double, as it’s probably cheaper to buy a larger tube. Dunno? You may find you need it more than once? I’m glad it cleared up.. and and and.. if your dr reads this, HE will comment and tell you why.. so stay tuned..
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