Some people in the US may be taking antibiotics intended for fish as a way around the expense and inconvenience of seeing a doctor, a study suggests.

Researchers from the University of South Carolina College of Pharmacy analysed reviews for fish antibiotics available online and found a small but significant percentage of consumers reviewed the antibiotics for human use.

In research presented at the American Society of Health–System Pharmacists (ASHP) conference in Las Vegas, Nevada, in December, they found antibiotics marketed for fish attracted nine times as many online user comments about human use than for treating aquatic pets.

In the US, fish antibiotics are available OTC without a prescription.