Good point Sam. Maybe most people know this, but in my area, there are "Urgent Care" centers that are NOT ERs. Access is much easier and faster. These places are ideal to address symptoms that require immediate attention but not a fully staffed ER. They should be able to diagnose something like an infection as discussed above and either treat it or make a referral to be seem asap. (It also takes some pressure off ERs where the needs are much more urgent - think car crash.)

These places usually don't provide pain killers or other "scheduled" drugs, and they won't treat broken bones or injuries requiring a real staff. But they are convenient for other, non-emergency needs - and way better and smarter than waiting to see your PCP, or worse, waiting many hours in an ER where real emergencies rightfully come first.