The story says he couldn't afford both. If he could only afford the painkillers it would have said that.

The big question as well is was he not told that the antibiotics were more necessary?

The answer to that could only lead to the question of why he would need to be told.

Either way, it's a pretty shameful indictment of American healthcare and social provision that he might end up making such a choice. The fact that he chose wrongly could be down to any number of factors, I've never been in lethal pain, I shouldn't really judge. Perhaps he was an idiot, perhaps he was a junkie, or perhaps the pain was so overwhelming that it could make a smart guy make a dumb choice.

Apparently at Walmart you can get a 30 day prescription of a generic product such as Amoxycillin (broad spectrum antibiotic) for $4.

This guy more than likely had other luxuries as a priority.