No antibiotics over the phone. If an illness is serious enough to require antibiotics, the patient should be seen by a physician. Antibiotics can be dangerous as well as lifesaving. Since antibiotics kill certain germs but not others, their use may result in overgrowth of death-causing organisms. If used improperly a sensitive organism may become resistant to the antibiotic and continue to cause the illness. Serious diarrhea, bone marrow suppression and fatal allergies are possible results. Do not give "leftover" antibiotics or "share" antibiotics. Antibiotics are effective only against bacteria compared to viruses for which there is no current safe therapy.