I think you're thinking of antiseptics or disinfectants, not antibiotics. Resistance to these is not such a problem, and many work on a level that it would be very hard for a microorganism to develop resistance to (for example, by physically destroy the organism).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antiseptic http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disinfectant
He was most likely referring to one of the many products that ineffectively use antibiotics instead of antiseptics. One such example is Neosporin.
Sadly, he's probably not thinking of antiseptics or disinfectants. Manufacturers have started putting antibiotics in consumer products (especially soaps) because there are a lot of consumers who don't know any better.
Re:Antibiotic resistance 'a time-bomb'
by maxerickson on Monday March 11, 2013 @03:17PM
(#5358987)
Or ggp is talking about Neosporin (and other triple antibiotic ointments).
But peroxide and iodine and rubbing alcohol are all also available, and plain petroleum jelly is available. And then most small cuts should probably just be washed with soapy water and left open to the air.
(also, the Wikipedia roundup on triclosan suggests it isn't a problem yet: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triclosan#Resistance_concerns
Not that it is particularly useful to put it in soap)
Wow, I didn't actually realtors that's what Neosporin was. I'm from he UK, where antibiotics are heavily controlled and, though I lived for a fair amount of time in the USA, I guess my bias made me not even consider that could be the case. Crazy.
Having said that, even with what ie now learned, I think it's still the case that _most_ disinfectants and antiseptics, even in the USA, are not antibiotics.
Thanks for the correction, I certainly learned something.
This is also a problem in North America. Try buying a simple disinfectant (e.g. for small cuts) that doesn't contain antibiotics.