A sore throat can be caused by many things, and it can occur as a symptom of something else, or as the main manifestation of the illness. Depending on the cause of your soreness, your doctor may prescribe a variety of treatments.
If you have strep throat (which the doctor can test for in his office; a rapid strep test takes about 15 minutes to get the results, and a culture takes about 2 days to come back from the lab) then the treatment is going to be antibiotics. In fact, strep throat can be potentially dangerous if not treated.
If you have mononucleosis, which can also cause a terrible sore throat, there are no antibiotic treatments that can help because it is a virus (the Epstein-Barr virus, often called EBV). Unfortunately, mononucleosis can last for weeks, and treatment should be aimed at easing discomfort brought on by the symptoms.
Throat pain caused by a cold or flu also cannot be treated with antibiotics, and again in this case, treatment should be based around reducing the symptoms. Fortunately, colds and the flu do not last as long as mono!
Depending on your symptoms, your doctor may prescribe or recommend various forms of treatment.
Feel free to have a look around the various pages and articles on this site for a list of remedies that may help ease your throat discomfort. As always, discuss any remedies with your doctor before beginning treatment. And as with anything, if your symptoms do not improve within a few days, be sure to call your doctor.