Antibiotics are powerful medicines that can cure infections caused by bacteria .
Since antibiotics were developed in the early 1940's, many infections that used to be life threatening have become completely curable. There are many types of antibiotics and each works a little differently on different bacteria. Antibiotics are usually safe medications, but some people have allergic reactions to certain antibiotics. For these reasons, in the United States, a doctor must prescribe antibiotics. Still, many people take antibiotics incorrectly.