First Meijer and Publix supermarkets began offering free antibiotics to their pharmacy customers. Then Giant Food and its sister chain, Stop & Shop, followed suit.

This is great news for saving money on your prescription drugs — but remember that these businesses are not charities. They are offering antibiotics as loss-leaders in the hope that you will do your other shopping at their stores as well.

Not only that, but the Centers for Disease Control is concerned that the free antibiotics programs will lead to overuse — with negative health consequences for all of us. As MSNBC reports:

Offering free antibiotics to cash-strapped customers may have seemed like a good idea this dire winter, but supermarket chains are fielding a backlash from health experts who say the promotions may do more harm than good.

Five large retailers have received letters from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Infectious Diseases Society of America cautioning that giving away antibiotics contributes to misuse of medication and the rise of increasingly drug-resistant bugs…

Whatever the source … health experts say easy access to antibiotics is at the core of the growing problem of drug resistance. Overuse of the drugs has allowed many bacteria to become increasingly immune to the medications. That has fueled the rise of potentially deadly superbugs such as MRSA or methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, and C. diff, or Clostridium difficile…

“The fact is that antibiotics are not harmless,” said [Dr. Lauri] Hicks, the CDC specialist. “There’s a perception that antibiotics are like candy.”

Freebee’s advice to you is this:

1. If you’re not currently doing your shopping at a store that offers free antibiotics, don’t switch just because of the drug promotion.

Only go there for the free antibiotics, and continue with your current routine. If you do choose to switch, be sure to look at your total grocery bill and compare it to what you were paying at the supermarket you used before. Remember, the most common antibiotics are available as generics and not that expensive, so if you’re paying more for your groceries to go to Publix, for example, it isn’t worth it.

2. If you have a cold or the flu, don’t ask your doctor for an antibiotic. It’s unlikely the drug will help.

When you go to the doctor, ask him or her for an honest opinion on whether an antibiotic will help you. Often, time and rest are the best medicine. If you insist on getting a prescription, many doctors will write it for you. But antibiotics aren’t candy. Be responsible in using them.