I am surprised this happens in Korea. I know such attitudes about antibiotics are commonplace in the developing world. Pharmacists are in the business of selling pills - a doctor's prescription isn't always necessary, but Korea is a high income, well educated country...
"NDM-1[1] is an enzyme that makes bacteria resistant to a broad range of beta-lactam antibiotics. These include the antibiotics of the carbapenem family, which are a mainstay for the treatment of antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections."
"Ten years ago, a review on the status of resistance in Mexico was bleak: with antibiotics freely sold over the counter and poor regulation of generic drugs, among other conditions, resistance among relevant pathogens often ranked top, either among Latin American countries, or even worldwide. "
1. New Delhi metallo-beta-lactamase 1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Delhi_metallo-beta-lactama...
"NDM-1[1] is an enzyme that makes bacteria resistant to a broad range of beta-lactam antibiotics. These include the antibiotics of the carbapenem family, which are a mainstay for the treatment of antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections."
2. Antibiotic usage and resistance in Mexico: an update after a decade of change. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33956642/
"Ten years ago, a review on the status of resistance in Mexico was bleak: with antibiotics freely sold over the counter and poor regulation of generic drugs, among other conditions, resistance among relevant pathogens often ranked top, either among Latin American countries, or even worldwide. "