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Are you getting your prescribed meds? As many as one in four prescriptions go unfilled.
It happens all the time:
Doctors dash off a new prescription to start patients on a medication. Could be a blood pressure-lowering drug. Could be pills to help control their type 2 diabetes.
The patient slides the piece of paper into his wallet or slips it into her purse. And there it stays, never to be filled, while the patient’s blood pressure or blood sugar continues to climb.
In fact, according to a new study, perhaps as many as one in four new prescriptions aren’t filled.
Cost and convenience seem to play major roles in determining whether patients actually pick up their newly prescribed medications, the researchers found.
For example:
- Patients who live in high-income zip codes were more likely to fill new prescriptions than those in low-income zip codes.
- People were more likely to get their medication if it was on their insurance plan’s list of approved drugs, resulting in a lower copay.
- And patients were more likely to fill their prescription if their doctor had transmitted it directly to the pharmacy instead of handing it to them.
“There may be plenty of other reasons, such as a poor explanation by the doctor of why the patient should take the medication,” notes lead author Michael Fischer, a health services researcher and primary care doctor at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. “Or maybe the patient doesn’t think the problem needs treatment.”
Fischer’s study, published in the November issue of The American Journal of Medicine, found that patients are more likely to fill prescriptions for antibiotics to treat an infection than for medications to lower their high blood pressure, which causes no symptoms.
“It may be that you’re more willing to pay for an antibiotic because you don’t feel so good that day,” he says.
Fischer and his coauthors analyzed prescribing data and filled claims for all patients with CVS Caremark drug coverage who received e-prescriptions from the company’s iScribe system in 2008. That added up to about 280,000 patients in all 50 states and about 425,000 e-prescriptions for new medications. The researchers matched the e-prescriptions with filled claims, allowing up to 180 days for patients to fill their prescription.
Some patients might have filled their prescriptions with $4 generics that didn’t generate a claim, Fischer says, or maybe they paid for the whole thing out-of-pocket. But his study suggests that at least 15 percent of new prescriptions are never filled.
Previous research has focused mainly on whether patients refilled prescriptions of drugs they’d already taken, not whether they filled their first prescription.
Price can be an obstacle in both cases, Fischer says. But people might not refill prescriptions because they don’t like the way the medications make them feel, he says, which doesn’t explain why they don’t fill new ones. In those cases, Fischer says, the problem is more likely to be a lack of information from the doctor on why it’s important to take the drug.
Research by behavioral scientist Antoinette Schoenthaler, an assistant professor of medicine at New York University, supports that notion.
“If doctors would just talk to patients and ask them about their medications and whether they’re taking them,” Schoenthaler says, “we could probably prevent a lot of nonadherence (patients not taking medications as prescribed).”
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And sometimes, doctors are simply wrong. My cholesterol is slightly on the high side. But at my age, that's normal in my family, a family with absolutely no history of heart disease at all. Everyone makes it into their mid-80s, then they just sort of run out of steam. So, do I need treatment to "get my numbers down?" No.
But doctors invariably say things like, "Well, we'll need to get you on Zovuvazz," and dash off a prescription, which I pocket, and ignore. Never mind that Zovuvazz has never been proven to have any effect on heart disease risk - the only thing it's known to do is "get your numbers down."
Three years later, the ads start showing up on TV: "Did you or a member of your family suffer from premature dementia and oily discharge brought on by taking Zovuvazz? If so, you may be entitled to compensation. Call the law offices of...."
Maybe people are realizing that doctors are OVERprescribing meds and aren't always thinking in the best interests of the patients but in the best interests of their pharma buddies or their bottom line($).
True, and a lot of information I've read suggests that cholesterol is something doctors really don't know much about (other than what they've been told by drug companies). Your body actually needs it, and if you remove it, what happens? It's converted to vitamin D by getting sunshine. What? You don't get sunshine because you wear sunscreen (which contains toxic substances)? And vitamin D helps prevent a multitude of health problems (some cancers including skin cancer). So, by looking at the cascading effect of what the medical establishment tells us, it's very clear the agenda is profit and not health. Besides that, if you do need to take something, the new drugs are not tested as well and have less clinical history, which makes them less safe and more expensive.
EarlyOut,
Instead of taking the prescription and then tossing it, why don't you have a discussion with the Dr about your thoughts and look for alternatives.
I have found that so many patients just sit there and nod their head as the Dr talks babbly bouk. Being proactive in your own health care is important, important enough that you need to do it actively, not being passive agressive about it.
Our health care system is good, but could be so much better if patients would stay involved.
Bill,
Try finding a doctor who has the time these days to listen to a patient's thoughts. Really. I've been seeing doctors for quite some time and it only gets worse. It doesn't matter whether or not you pick "the best one" in his/her field, they are all rushed for time.
Another beef I have is a specialist for this, a specialist for that. I mean, your big toe on your left foot hurts? See the left foot doctor. Right foot? See the right foot doctor. I have found it's best just to ignore everything and hope it all turns out okay, seriously. Otherwise, a person could spend their entire lives going to doctors.
I absolutely hate the system the way it is today.
It is not the fault of the docs. It's the system they are forced to practice in.
This sounds very familiar. My wife was getting some new Heart medicine from the Doctor on a trial basis. Free pills from the Doctor. He gave her a prescription for three months of the medication I took it to Walmart and they called saying the bill was $608.00 dollars. I called and verified the cost from Walmart.
I then got on the internet and found the Generic medication from Canada for $106.00 for the same 90 day supply.
The prescription will go un filled from Walmart because I got the same medication from Canada for approximately 1/6 th the cost.
The US does not approve the Generic drugs because the orginal Manufacturer lobbys against the Generic. The Doctors are compensated by the Drug Companies. They claim they don't know the cost of the medications. I expect that is not true since the drug company representitives are stocking their drug locker every week with free samples..
I have had several unfilled prescriptions myself. Most I can take as needed, and a few are precationary. Not only that, but some have become available over the counter.
Imatthebeach.
I have doctors that take the time to listen. But I also stay informed on my medical issues. Because I am active and informed, they become a coach instead of a automatic pill dispenser. I never thought I could get off allergy injections until one of my doctors gave me some alternatives. My kids are in the same situation. Instead of being medicated 9 months of the year, they only need to take medicine when they are headed into their peak season.
Imatthebeach--if you need more time for your checkup or whatever, tell the office staff that when you call to schedule your appointment. If the office doesn't block more time in the schedule for you, find another doctor. The group of doctors I work for do this for their patients--but you need to ask for the time. Waiting until your appointment and then pulling out the list of multiple medical complaints isn't the way to do it--most will tell you "I only have enough time for the 2 most important concerns you have". Our office is in a pretty rural area, so we get used by patients as an emergency room too.
Drug samples are disappearing--gone are the days when a drug rep would bring a case of samples to an office. The companies are leaving fewer samples, and eventually those will be gone as well. Vouchers will only be left, eventually.
Too many people are willing to just nod and smile when they're given prescriptions at the doctor's office--when I worked night shift at the hospital, I couldn't tell you how many people would say "I take a little white pill and a little blue pill". Or, "I don't know what I take, that's my doctor's job to know"--far worse. Far, far too many do NOT take an active role in their healthcare, they don't even know what medical problems they face, let alone what medications they take or WHY the meds were prescribed.
Well duh!
I can't believe there needed to be a study done for this. I mean, really people? If there money isn't there, EVERY purchase is considered to be expendable--even medication.
Thank you, Rowan and DB. Of course you are right and I do follow all of your suggestions.
Rowan, I know what you were up against working at the hospital. Don't you think that sometimes people simply become ill to the point where they have great difficulty in keeping up with their medications, often because in many incidences their meds are being "tweaked" and changed by the doc on a regular basis? Not that the doc is at fault, but there are some conditions that are difficult to treat and trying different meds is necessary. As that goes on, the patient simply tires and has difficulty keeping up with what they are taking every day.
My aunt went to the dr for something, got a prescription, came home, looked it up on the computer, saw all the possible side effects and tossed the prescription in the trash.
Just listen to the TV ads. Take a prescription, and you put your life in danger! The body has some self-healing properties. Just wait and let it take its course.
Ignorance is not an excuse! Your body can't 'heal itself'... but I've had plenty of patients like you that think it can. You know where you end up? In ICU. Those ads on TV shouldn't be there. Every single side effect HAS to be listed... even if one person in one hundred had it and it can't be proven that it was from the med! Cholesterol has been PROVEN to contribute directly to heart disease and strokes. So I guess if you want to chance losing control of half your body and your bladder and bowels... or you want to end up with open heart surgery and all of those side effects, have at it! Trust me, docs don't prescribe meds just for the fun of it. It's tough just to get an antibiotic anymore! They're well aware of side effects and if you're better off on the med than without it. Unless you're a medical professional, you really have no idea what you're doing. TALK to your doctor!!
Oh, oh. Guess I'm going to be in trouble with jag24659.
Actually, jag, you're right, but so am I. Thing is, you've got to know what to let go to "heal itself". Your argument would be that the lay person does not know...........and you would be 100% right. Guilty as charged because I ended up in the ICU for 2 weeks. Some things do not heal themselves, for sure.
I do hate taking pills, though.
"Trust me, docs don't prescribe meds just for the fun of it."
Sure they do. When they get the kickback money from pushing the medication, I'm sure they have a lot of fun with all that money.
Jag, you need to get 'off' of your pedestal. People are still in control of their bodies. Regardless of what people are told to think nowadays.
I bet if they checked, pain med scripts get filled 99.9% of the time.
Dave - those taking kickbacks may be like 1 out of 100. Then there is the liability issue - some doctors feel that if they don't give you something, they may get sued or complaints for not doing "something". After a while giving prescriptions becomes automatic. Most doctors take their oath very seriously and only want to give you the right medicine - IF you really need it.
2 doctors underplayed my "minor" side effects of extreme muscle pain, swelling, gained 20 pounds in two weeks, blurred vision, and the inability to pee more than a few drops a day. They kept telling me I was a heart attack waiting to happen. They also got angry that I refused to start taking statins again so they could "prove" the side effects with blood tests. Third doctor listened, ran tests and found I had already started damaging my kidneys in the few weeks I was on statins (there were tests from just before to compare with), called the swelling edema, said my heart was fine, cholesterol was only slightly elevated, but my thyroid medicine was long overdue for a major increase. In fact, had I continued or gone back on the statins, I would have ended up in ICU, and possibly even dialysis. She also found that I was severely lacking in vitamin D and B12, common problem with thyroid patients, but no other doctor ever bothered testing for it.
There is a place for doctors and medicine, but there is also a place for common sense and listening to our bodies. Many doctors are too quick to reach for a prescription pad to treat symptoms and not find out the root of the problem. In my case raising the thyroid dose solved many problems I was having, including the cholesterol. And a statin, because of it's side effects to the kidneys and prior damage from a childhood kidney infection should never have been tried unless it was a last resort.
I'll take my chances with the heart disease and strokes. I'm about 30 to 40 years away from them if I follow the family pattern. Statins would kill or debilitate me long before then.
No, I intend to listen to my body, ask questions, and avoid anything that does more harm than good. And if a doctor blows me off with pat answers, then he/she is not the doctor for me.
DB Akron, do you have any sources to this 1 out of 100? Reliable ones?
I expect a long wait.
Jag...your body CAN heal itself by means other than drugs. One should always consider lifestyle changes before taking drugs with potentially serious side effects. If you eat the right foods and exercise daily you can drastically improve cholesterol, blood pressure, risk of diabetes, etc. Also, coconut oil has been shown to greatly improve the HDL/LDL ratio and countries that consume a lot of coconut oil have a very low rate of heart disease. And when it comes to statin drugs, nobody seems to mention the rebound effect - if you are taking them for any length of time and then STOP....for the next six months or so you have TRIPLE the risk of heart attack!
I have thrown away prescriptions because I've discovered that not only are there potentially horrific side effects, some of them can be PERMANENT! This means even if you stop the drug, the damage is done. I don't care if the risk is 1 in 10,000....I don't want to be that one. Until doctors start treating the patient as a whole instead of doling out drugs to treat symptoms....I'll trust my instincts.
I have received prescriptions on several occasions from doctors only to go home, look it up, see what side effects there are, and simply toss the prescription away. Why take something to help with pain only to destroy your kidney, liver, etc.? Some of the drugs out there cause more side effects than what they help with.
I sometimes think instead of treating individuals, some doctors are using risk formulas or something like that. Had a call eventually from the nurse of the doctor who had put me on statins to begin with. She sounded so "concerned." More of I was a "heart attack waiting to happen" just because my cholesterol was a little high, even though blood pressure was normal and no sign of heart disease. She started in with an emotional plea that I would end up dying of stroke or heart attack like my parents. That is when I realized my slightly high cholesterol was only an excuse for "preventative" medicine. Mom died in her 80s in her sleep from her first and only heart attack two weeks after a check-up which showed absolutely no sign of any heart disease. Dad died of strokes when he was almost 90. Until mom died his health was very good for his age. If I am blessed with an active full life until that age and then go in my sleep, I will be thankful. Why should I take anything now that has side effects that will prevent me from enjoying life for the next 30+ years. With my luck, and as bad as my side effects were, statins would probably prevent me from dying in my sleep at 80+ by killing me from the side effects before I ever got there.
I am not saying that there are not people who need certain medicines, but we go overboard. I had a cousin turn down repeating chemotherapy after the doctor told him he would gain only months (not years). When he said "no thanks," the doctor acted like he was nuts. I am strongly against euthansia (mercy killing), but I do believe there are times when before treating something, we need to weigh quality of life versus length of life.
My doctors despite all tests saying I didn't have something, suggested I did and wanted to start me on medication for a pre-diabetic, even though I showed no signs of having the condition. She was about to have the prescription sent in before I said "Hold on a second here- all my tests are negative, all of my symptoms are consistent with this other condition I have, that's already being medicated- so why do you want to put me on these 4 other medications?" The answer was because even though the tests were negative I might still have this syndrome. I told her I wouldn't be taking a medicine for something I clearly did not have. But it's not the first time I've told a doctor no or asked why and it's something a lot of people just don't do and for the life of me I can't make sense of it.
Doctors do not know everything and a lot of times you have to do your own research and bring it to them- especially your PCP. They have a drug rep going in and doing a song and dance about how their medicine is the best and often times doctors listen because they are NOT pharmacists.
Pharmacists in other countries are the ones prescribing your your medicines because that is their specialty. They are taught this drug with this condition. Doctors are giving the line "most often prescribe this with that" but they don't learn why and why this medicine and that medicine is bad unless it's really really bad. Doctors shouldn't be writing prescriptions at all. They should just be sending the diagnosis to the pharmacist who knows the drugs better.
And what ever happened to taking action on your part for free? I you think you might be pre-diabetic it would make more sense to change your eating habits rather than start you on medication and flag you to insurance companies to raise rates on you. Doctors clearly are not thinking about what they are doing to patients by blindly writing prescriptions.
They only thought I was because they thought I had a condition that I clearly didn't have that's often associated with pre-diabetic tenancies. My body later proved them wrong. My eating habits changing would have done nothing as I already had a diet that would be diabetic friendly.
I did take it into my own hands. More people should. Yes, some doctors are great and they know what their doing but a lot of times doctors will look at you and make an assumption about your health. It took 2 years of fighting before I convinced doctors that they were risking my health to fit their misconceptions.
This is a no brainer, my cholesterol lowering drug costs $53/month and I am on a fixed income. Fortunately I can afford it, along with my other meds, at nearly $100/month in total. Obviously some elders or poor, simply can't afford it. When you multiply it over a year, it can be a lot of money, for many people. However, my doctor wants to give me a battery of tests to check out my heart, since I don't have medical insurance, I told him "no".
I had high blood pressure for several years (180/100) and my family physican had been prescribing various combinations of generics to try to bring it down, but the best we could get in three years of attempts was about 150/90. he admitted that he'd reached his limitations and referred me to a cardiac specialist.
On my first vsit to the specialist, he did an exam, read my medication history, and prescribed a combination of two brand-name drugs, and gave me a month's work of samples for me to test with. In a week my BP was 118/75 with these drugs. He wrote me a prescription for both.
Went to get it filled, and the monthly cost of both drugs was going to be $475! My insurance said that "your condition is adequately treatable with generics."
I went back to my cardiac specialist with this news, and he gave me another month of free samples, then basically went to the matresses against the insurance company. Finally got them to cover the prescriptions, but I still have a much larger co-pay, and it took a month tgo resolve. I can see why people don't fill them.
In another incident I had an antibiotic-resistand bladder infection after surgery, and my urogolist prescribed a really powerful brand-name antibiotic, which cured it. But the eight capsules I had to take cost me $275. And the insurance company refused to pay for that, too.
We are each free to follow whatever medical advice we get. We are equally free to not follow that advice. That includes drugs and surgery. What's the problem? Oh, some pharmacy may have a lower bottom line. But it's the "patient's" choice.
My wife works outdoors and it is not unusual for her to pull a muscle or have her bad knee act up. After getting the injury checked out, the doctor invariably gives her a perscription for pain killers. Those invariably end up in the trash can on the way out the door, never to be filled.
It's clear we need to know more about why prescriptions aren't filled. For those who aren't filling them because they can't afford them even though they need them--they need help. There is no reason--other than greed--why some of these medicines are so expensive. I have encountered this problem myself.
I have been given several prescriptions in my lifetime. Except for one, I tossed them after research. The possible side effects were much worse than the ailment, and I was not willing to take a chance. Lo, these many years later I am still here and in good health. I think doctors are brain-washed by drug salesmen.
Prescribing a pill is easier than practicing medicine.
As a physician who does not prescribe for myself, I've gone to the pharmacy to pick it up only to find it was $310...I told them to put it back on their self and called my physician who prescribed another for $26. My research showed in $26 was just as good.
Happydoc.
If enough of us do what you and I do we could stop the robbery by the drug industry. Just look at what they did on the Medicare D drug plan. Convinced congress with donations to NOT ALLOW the Government to negioate drug prices. The VA and All the services negioate drug prices and get them a fraction of what Medicare D pays the drug company. Of course Med D charges you the inflated price.
I'm 70 and take no pills whatsoever. A number of years ago a doctor gave me a prescription and I wound up sick. I am on the Paleo diet and have very low cholesterol and blood pressure. All we have to eat here is meat, eggs, certain vegetables, fruits and nuts. A hunter gatherer diet. I've never felt so good in my life. I walk 3 to 5 miles a day at about 3 MPH, do deep squats 15 to 20 at a time, shovel snow, and do all the yard work here. My husband is handicapped and weighs a little over 200 pounds and is 80 years old. He takes tons of pills. I would like to throw them away, but his doctor says they are important.
I doubt that I will ever take pills again after my experience with them. they were pain pills for when I broke my leg. I threw them away. The sickness I got from the pills, was much worse than the leg pain.
Hello Gina, I'm with you. I had surgery for a ruptured bicep and the doctor prescribed 3 types of pain medications. I never really had any pain, so I never filled them. Too many pill poppers out there taking medications that they could probably do without.
Or if you're forced to use the Medco mail order pharmacy you'd rather just not worry about the hassle they put you through to get your medicine in the first place.
I'm a RN, and I refuse to use mail-order for medications. I much prefer my local pharmacist, who will say to me "I know you're a nurse, but remember to watch for......" My local pharmacy does a much better job with prescriptions than the mail-order pharmacies I've had to deal with on the job.
Frankly, with local pharmacies joining the wave of $4, $9, $10 medication lists, many local pharmacies are less expensive than mail-order.
That's exactly why I don't get my prescriptions filled theough the mail-order option of ExpresScripts, even though they keep shoving it at me.
Plus, if I have an infection, or something that I'd like to begin treating ASAP I don't want to have to wait a week to get the damn prescription.
Too many times I have gone to the drug store to fill the script, just to find out the cost was more than I can afford. Like many, I just don't fill it. I do not believe I am the only one to have run into this situation.
There are many alternative, and cheaper methods to help some of your health issues. Google what ails you and try the natural approach if you can't or won't do the medical junk they sell!!
Doctors are referred to as Practioners for a reason!! Doctors (MDs, DOs) work in the field of Medical Arts not Science.
For cholesterol take Red Yeast Rice and Co-Q10 .... it droppped my levels over 40 points. And you can get both at the health food store for $20. which should last you at least a month. If you were to mention this to your Dr ... he'd probably say ... "Huh, what was that called again!!"
Actually my family practitioner recommended that to me.
Could it be that patients are becoming more informed and realize that everything in life can't be solved by a pill? Doh!
more informed + watching their money = less scripts filled. Yes, it is just that simple.
Except for the ones who come in and want a pill to fix every little thing immediately!
wealthy people are more likely to get medical attention that poor people. dammit i'm glad ya'll sent a reporter out to get this SCOOP. who would have EVER guessed? can't put nothin' over on you folks.
Many doctors are willing to work with their patients in finding the best method towards better health. However, in our impatient society, a lot of people want instant relief and results. I have had physicians even recommend homeopathic doctors, if you are willing to take the time to assure better health. If your physician isn't helping you, then either you aren't communicating with him or he doesn't care. If you do not have a caring physician, then its time to find a new one. There are enough good doctors around that no one should accept poor treatment. Prescriptions are sometimes necessary as short term therapy, but other methods can be used to correct ailments in the long term. Costs often make many prescriptions unavailable to many patients, but there are often alternatives that can achieve similar results. Work with your doctor and develop a good relationship with them, because that is the best path toward better health. This is just my two cents after having spent a lot of time and money seeing many different specialists over the years, both for myself and my spouse. Doctors are people too, and if you don't communicate, then they can't read your mind. Eat right, exercise regularly and be proactive in maintaining good health.
so poor people and those with no insurance or bad insurance are more likely to not get a script filled? Really?
In other obvious news, the sun rose from the East this morning again...
The wealthy have better access to better types of food. Americans have horrible diets and pay for it through health care cost. Forks over Knives is an eye-opener you can stream it on netflix. I like data sets, this program is a good one on what people eat throughout the world and what cancer and illness rates correspond with those diets. You are what you eat, I have never seen so many heavey folks than i have in the last 10 years. I am within normal limits for my frame and people tell me I am too thin. they also think i am ten years younger too. I love bacon and egg sandwiches but i know i can't eat one every day and not pay for it down the road.
The wealthy have better access to everything.
And unhealthy food is a lot cheaper than healthy food; that's why you see more obesity among the poor.
actually, a case of bottled water and a bag of dried beans is very healthy and way cheaper than chips and a case of cokes
Most likely some folks just don't want to pay for a prescription, whether they can afford it not. My wife had heart disease, she would get a prescription and put it in her purse. She didn't want to pay for it. I had to bug the hell out of her to get it filled, and, as to the cost, she was a RN, had good insurance. She mentioned once that she knew what was coming because of her heart disease, so, why waste the money now? So, anyway, she died in 2000 so maybe she was right.
Well, mellowfellow, I'm sure your comment really cheered a lot of people up here today.
Were you mellow when she was alive, too?
To just focus on the cost factor for a moment, the Medicare Part D drug program is nearly criminal. For those of you not yet qualified for Medicare, here are a few tidbits to ponder:
First, when you go online to Medicare Part D, the first question you will answer is what State do you live in. If this is a federal program, what difference does it make? The difference is that the health insurers have carved up the US by state, county and zip code. You will be required to select only the health insurers 'approved' for your location.
Second, you will pay a monthly premium to the health insurer you select, plus a monthly copay to the pharmacy for your prescription. And what role does the health insurer play in this? None as far as I can see except to collect premiums from subscribers and then bill Medicare for the difference between what you pay and what the retail cost of the drug is - plus a little from Medicare, of course, that goes to the health insurer.
Third, the health insurer acts as a middleman between you and your pharmacy. Why? Because the Part D drug bill says you must enroll in an approved health insurance provider's program, creating a guaranteed market for the health insurers.
Fourth, and this is the good part, the Part D law prohibits Medicare from negotiating with the pharmaceutical companies to gain bulk rate pricing even though the Veterans Administration and several other federal agencies not only have this right, they are required to negotiate prices. Big Pharma, whose representatives 'assisted' in writing the Part D legislation did a very good job for their clients.
And finally, why did so many Democrats vote for the Part D law knowing it was not written in favor of Americans who need help paying for these drugs? Because they knew it was the best that could be expected given the current legislative situation.
I will take a blood thinner called Plavix for the rest of my life. The retail cost of 30 pills is $236. Until recently, there were two generic drugs available at about 1/3 that cost. The maker of Plavix, Bristol-Meyers, has bought out those two generic suppliers.
The cost in England, Germany, Canada and France for the same number of Plavix pills is between $30 and 45 for the same quantity. Why, you ask? Because these countries and many others do not use the middlemen and they tell the manufacturer what the government will pay for a particular drug based on a formula of cost of production, research and development and how long the product has been on the market. The manufacturer can take the offer of leave it. If the manufacturer leaves it, their product is prohibited from being distributed in that country. Generic alternative suppliers are also protected so there is always a source. It's a novel concept of government working for its citizens.
A really stupid story and lazy reporting. If you pay cash, or have the script filled in Canada (Northwest Pharmacy in Canada), then it won't show up.
"Trust me, docs don't prescribe meds just for the fun of it."
Sure they do. When they get the kickback money from pushing the medication, I'm sure they have a lot of fun with all that money.
22 years in practice...not ONE check...dang. I think I got a coffee mug once.
You REALLY think we get kickbacks?....come spend a day with us.
Are you REALLY an OBGYN? Because I can get a nick here with a medical name too for an attempt at gaining credibility.
Have a nice day! =:D
I was a veritable smorgasbord of meds when they were trying to control my migraines. Some of the interesting side effects I had at different times were nosebleeds when I sneezed (Fiorinal) , 80lb weight gain in a single month (Depakote), lost the ability to speak (Topamax) legs cramped so bad I had to drag myself to the bathroom (Sansert). Had another that made me feel like I was 20 foot tall looking down at people. Another had me fall asleep while driving, destroying a government car. List goes on....