Do you think that your child may need an antibiotic, but it's the weekend and the pediatrician's office is closed? If so, you may want to consider heading to a local urgent care facility instead of to an emergency room. If you don't think that the condition they have is life-threatening, and instead that it's a common illness that may need an antibiotic treatment, urgent care is a great choice.

There are urgent care facilities across the country that are open when the regular doctor's offices are not, and they are staffed with nurses, physicians, and the medical professionals that you need. Here are a few reasons why you'll want to consider urgent care instead of an emergency room.

Cost

The cost to go to an urgent care facility instead of an emergency room can be substantially cheaper, saving you money or preserving the amount you have in your medical insurance account through your insurance provider. If you are paying out of pocket, saving hundreds could make the difference between going into debt or not for the services you need.

Time

People who walk into the urgent care are there to treat minor illnesses and injuries, and you will be treated in the order you came in. When you head into an emergency room you will be mixed with patients that could have life-threatening illnesses and that may need several medical tests and more. That means that you could be waiting a very long time for the minor prescription you need. However, it's likely that you can get in and out of the urgent care much more quickly since you won't be pushed to the end of the waiting list every time someone comes in with a more severe condition than you.

Convenience

Urgent cares are scattered throughout cities and towns, so you don't have to drive to the nearest hospital if this isn't a convenient drive for you. Locate the facility closest to you that will accept your insurance, and get in to get your child checked out.

If your child has discolored snot, a fever, pains in their ears, white spots in the back of their throat, or other symptoms that make you think they need an antibiotic to treat an infection in their body, get to an urgent care so the infection doesn't get severe. You don't want to wait to get into your pediatrician once the office opens back up on Monday morning, especially if your child has a lot of discomfort and you can tell that they are suffering. Take your child to a place like West Ocean City Injury & Illness Center to get them the treatment they need.