Boy, did I get shafted today. I had to refill some scripts and found when I went to pick-up(Walgreens) my discount card expired. I paid the std. price and it was an eye opener. I took my same script to a competing store(Rexall) and would have saved, $31.00. I later went to Wal-Mart and they saved roughly the same, but it appears to save only a little more. I still need to check some other super stores which offer low prices too. I goto Walgreens as its on the way home. Of course not all generics are covered for lower prices and they vary, but it appears, I'm really need to pay attention. I do get free VA scripts as well but they don't always refill on demand as I have open periods to cover and thus trips to the local drugstore. Heck, the VA sends me aspirin and it helps with my budget as it is. I thought I had things covered with a discount card, but Rexall doesn't even require one. I'll check Eagle's drugstore as they really pushed for low cost generics according to the ads.. wish me luck -----Willy
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Drug pricing
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...prescription quality drugs, yes. It's a well known fact that many drugs are half price or less for exactly the same thing when sold by exactly the same companies to pharmacies in other countries where they know it's not the economically captive Americans who buy their drugs.
FDA was set up to insure quality drugs for Americans, but over the years have become shills for the large Pharma companies. Kessler turned them into a drug gestapo anyway, patterned after the ATF. You may not realize this, but freedom to get prescription quality drugs, with or without a prescription exists in many countries other than America, such as where I lived in Greece, which make us seem like laughing stocks when we speak of personal freedom. You don't have the freedom to walk in and get an antibiotic when you have an infection. Instead you must do the doctor or hospital dance, pay out those fees first and only THEN get a chance to pay out 2-3 times as much as the rest of the world to get what you know you needed in the first place. We're idiots!
Many combinations of prescription drugs can be very hazardous id taken together. If we were to allow people to get drugs that are now by prescription at will without one, how many people would take a hazardous combination? If the law were to be changed and people did so, would the drug companies be free from law suits if such a person were harmed? Could they be protected by saying that the person should have read the information folders that are available about those drugs and should have educated themselves about the possible dangers?
I see problems with allowing people to get any drug desired at will, without a prescription.
True, but you can take a normal dose of one each of some prescription drugs and find yourself in serious trouble because of their interaction. Normally a doctor should be aware of interactions and not have you taking both of them at the same time. But if you're allowed to get then at will without a prescription and a doctor's input, you might seriously damage yourself, being unaware of the potential problem.
You're assuming people prescribe their own medicine?....I imagine some people watch too many Drug Company commercials and do self-medicate.
Go to YOUR doctor...get a script....Buy the drugs in Canada/Mexico?
Didn't you read the post to which I was replying? It had the line "You may not realize this, but freedom to get prescription quality drugs, with or without a prescription exists in many countries other than America, such as where I lived in Greece, which make us seem like laughing stocks when we speak of personal freedom.".
I wouldn't call it assuming, but discussing the implications of the words "without a prescription" in the above mentioned sentence.
YES, I did read, and that post was
lol, you can overdose on tylenol.
Nothing more...Nothing less...that's all.
Did you read the post to which I was replying?
allowed to get then at will without a prescription and a doctor's input
You consider prescribing prescription drugs for yourself a personal freedom?
A lot of drug addicts would vote for you.
Now you are trying to put words in my mouth. I never said that I favored people being able to prescribe prescription drugs for themselves. It's also obvious to others that my discussion of prescription drugs in this past of the thread didn't refer to a NT post, but the one that mentioned it. My, such distortion.
Translate this into Canadian.
freedom to get prescription quality drugs, with or without a prescription exists in many countries other than America, such as where I lived in Greece, which make us seem like laughing stocks when we speak of personal freedom.".
get drugs, without prescription, America, laughing stock and personal freedom.
All in 1 sentence.
Is it a "personal freedom" or not?
I never said that I favored people
I didn't say would favoUred it...I asked You consider prescribing prescription drugs for yourself a personal freedom?
My, such distortion...YES...by you.
"But if you're allowed to get then at will without a prescription and a doctor's input, you might seriously damage yourself, being unaware of the potential problem."
That seems to me to be saying if people were able to get drugs without prescription and doctors advice, they run serious risks.
I am not sure where you got your interpretation from.
Mark
That seems to me to be saying if people were able to get drugs without prescription and doctors advice, they run serious risks.
but THAT is a "personal freedom"...The Greeks laughed Americans because they didn't have the "personal freedom"?
I am not sure where you got your interpretation from.
Bemoaning the fact the Greeks are laughing at Americans because they can't get drugs without prescriptions...and J uses the term "personal freedom" he used it first not me.
WOE IS ME....I can't prescribe my own drugs.
You said "J uses the term 'personal freedom' he used it first not me." That's funny, I looked back at my posts and the time I referred to to the words "personal freedom", it was a repeat of the words in a previous post by someone else. Yet you say that I used it first.
And the beat goes on...
Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs like Aspirin, Ibuprofen, Naproxen, and others are very hard on the stomach and can cause GI Bleeding. Cox-2 inhibitors have heart complication.
Actually Tylenol is probably the safest of the bunch, but it is included in so many compound drugs: Neo Citran, Dristan, and Robaxacet and lots more, so you can unintentionally end up taking too much of it.
I take Enteric Coated Naprosyn as an Anti-Inflammatory for my knees and ankles, and Tylenol 3 for pain which avoids the interaction, but when my back acts up I have to avoid the T3. I have only once run into an instance where I had a migraine while I was taking Robaxacet. Fortunately both T3 and Robaxacet have 325 mgm of Acetaminophen (Tylenol). That's just 30 something % more than an extra strength Tylenol.
Rob
when it comes to many drugs currently not over the counter, but prescrition only. Remember dimetapp? It used to be that way for decades, finally was made over the counter. Nevertheless when I was a child my parents for my allergies at the time had to spend more than necessary due to procuring prescriptions for it's use. Another that disappeared was paragoric, useful for stomach cramps and even helped against coughs. It had been over the counter but removed, due to having camphorated opium in it. Thyroid patients that have been stabilized for years still must get prescriptions for their daily medicine. Things loosened up on diabetic needs in many areas, since finally someone realized it didn't make sense to restrict what people who administered their own shots daily were able to purchase for their health.
My worry is that with national healthcare the tendency since the beginning of the FDA to remove more and more medicines from availability over the counter will become even worse.
Some of it is just silly. Heart valve patients, almost all with artificial valves need coumadin on a daily basis. Prescription required. Yet, you can buy the same ingredient unregulated as rat poison. Took a trip to Mexico and got some parasites because you didn't have prescription for protection? Ivermectin for humans requires CDC approval for use last I heard, yet you can order the exact same formulation of active ingredients from many animal supply stores such as Zimecterin for horses. Need a vet's prescription for Heartgard for your dog? Same stuff in Zimecterin without prescription, just make sure to carefully measure it from the tube.
Get a cut that gets infected? Any fool knows you need an antibiotic. So what's the problem one can't just go get one and be done with it? No, instead take time off work to see doctor, who goes, "hmm, I'll need to prescribe you an antibiotic for that" and then you finally get it AFTER the doctor can see you and it's swelled up even worse. Cost? Not just antibiotic but unnecessary doctor's visit too.
We can buy all sorts of poisons to kill all sorts of critters and insects without needing any "prescription" but try and get something to stop infection or that's actually effective against a cough among other things and it's time off work, visit the clinic, get prescription.
I'm not against doctors. They have their place and are needed and appreciated. Many are over worked and could devote time to more than pushing commonly used pills. I am against seeing drugs that are required daily use for a stabilized user requiring prescriptions every one to three months and some doctors requiring a visit each time.
I've heard it said that if the FDA was putting aspirin through an approval process, it would require it to be available only by prescription. I wouldn't be surprised.
Are there some who would abuse the drugs? Some people will abuse anything, but that doesn't mean everyone should be relegated to the lowest standard because of them.
I have several doctors and they all prescribe different things. I will inform all my doctors of my medications (including otc ones) and go to one pharmacy but not everyone does that.
Diana
Have a condition that a particular medicine works best for you? Watch the insurance plan change and the previous doctor not be on it, which requires a "new patient" charge at the current doctor or clinic, then find out that particular doctor "ONLY" prescribes a different medicine that DOESN'T work as well for the condition. Choices? Well, the only real choice is pay out of pocket to visit the previous doctor who DOES prescribe the correct medicine. Doctor shopping? Yep.
Now, ask yourself how much fun that will be under a national healthcare situation, especially as it becomes more restrictive over the years, and history in other countries show they all do.
That seems to be a failing of the private insurance concept. Since we are not controlled by 'insurance plans', we are not forced to switch doctors, have no 'new patient charges' and our GP's are not persuaded by insurance companies to promote their own drug selection.
Whatever drugs are needed are prescribed.
Mark
With your situation, how east is it to change doctors? That causes me to recall a post I made here quite a while back. I mentioned changing doctors because it was hard for me to deal with the parking situation in the complex where he had his office. I switched to a doctor where I am now able to park and get in without ever a parking problem. No problem, no permission needed, I just did it. I wonder, under the world of ObamaCare, will I continue to have such a freedom?
but it can be done.
The easiest way, in procedure, is just to say that you want a different doctor in the practice. Then wither under the stares from your existing doctor who thinks you have suddenly grown an extra head. 
Other than that there are boundaries. I mean each practice deals with an area of the community, so changing to a different practice in another area could be a problem. but call in to the practice you want, ask if you can be registered with them, and if they accept, that's it.
The worst way is to complain to the GMC, General Medical Council. That way the word spreads around that you're a trouble maker, and no other doctor will want you in their practice.
All in all, fairly easy. 
Mark
a drug item from "mail order Mexico" as I would from "Johnny on the corner"
I have to impart alot of trust buying on the WWW, Its bad trying to get stuff locally, thus having to find and then actually place an order and go threough the process maybe for now something in the future. After-all, They can say, they're 100% OK, but that's not something at least that I know of that I can check on. -----Willy
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