I have a couple of antibiotics questions for the docs on here:

1.  Am I better off buying the 500 mg drugs and then just cutting the pills in half for a 250 dose?

2.  Of the ones available on Amazon what ones and how much of each would provide a well rounded lot for a family of 4?

3.  Are there test kits available to try to narrow down the type of bacteria so you can use the right antibiotic?

1- Buy the biggest doze you can, you can always halve or quarter them.

If you're going to spend money on antibiotics you might as well learn how/why to use them.

Step 1) learn first aid skills
Step 2) read Auerbach's "Medicine for the Outdoors" (a decent guide to learning symptoms of disease)
Step 3) buy a sanford manual and /or "clinical microbiology made ridiculously easy"
Step 4) consider medication allergies and medication interactions that you/family may have
Step 5) read up on the antibiotics you may need for various illnesses and the proper dosages you'll need as well as side effects to plan for (see step 3)
Step 6) read up on storage techniques
Step 7) order the appropriate antibiotics.

These steps will answer questions 1-3 for you. If you arent willing to study the medicine behind the drugs you have no business prescribing them to your family. Just my IMHO.

1) Yes
2) Don't know anything about what is available on Amazon
3) No - Get a copy of the Sandford Guide to Antimicrobial Therapy (paper or PDF) and wing it...

I know that some meds are manufactured for timed release, so cutting them in half is not a good idea...they release into your system all at once.

Not certain if antibiotics falls into this category,