When should you seek medical attention for a staph infection? are antibiotics totally necessary? (it's just so expensive just to get a $4 rx)

Probably: You dont know you have a staph infection. You dont know if you even have an infection, much less the exact bacteria which might be causing it. And physicians are here to help you. But it remains a business which requires money to operate. So if you have an infection which requires antibiotics, go and see a doctor. B/c if you become septic from an untreated infection, you could die.