You go to your doctor’s office for a routine check-up. Everything is fine but your cholesterol is a little high. The doctor wants to put you on medication because lowering your cholesterol will significantly reduce your risk of heart attack and stroke. Sounds good until you get to the pharmacy and realize this will cost you a hundred dollars a month, for life. Why would my doctor prescribe a medication for me that is going to cost $1,200 a year? Why didn’t he choose something a little cheaper? Why didn’t he tell me about eating better and exercising?
Your doctor will go through a thought process before prescribing your medication. Some of it is based on age, sex, race, weight, experience, and other medical conditions. You may be surprised to find out that some of his decision may be based on the “attention” he receives from the drug companies. The term attention is used to refer to the many number of gifts or freebees given to the doctors for prescribing certain medication.
The billion dollar drug manufacturers know how to influence your doctor into prescribing their drug. In years gone by, the gifts given to doctor were pretty extravagant. I’ve heard stories of a leased car, an Alaskan cruise, and untold free rounds of golf. Recently, the companies have come to a “gentleman’s agreement.” They discovered the gifts were getting out of control with each company trying to one-up the other. The free items were reduced significantly to pens, pencils, pads, clocks, and anything else you can use in a doctor’s office. Look around the office; everything has a drug name on it.
The manufacturers have now gotten clever again and give away free continuing education, or CEs. These are something every health professional must have in order to keep his or her license active. They are usually sponsored by drug companies. When a doctor has been prescribing the company’s drug, the representative may give him a ticket to a continuing education seminar. The seminar is usually held in a nice vacation area like Miami, New York, San Diego, or even Hawaii. Everything is paid for; flight, hotel, and rental car. All the doctor has to do is attend the seminar to get his credits. The CE credits are important and keep health professionals up to date on the latest therapies, but they are also held locally. The fact that they are held in these exotic locations is the bonus for prescribing the medications.
You may be wondering how the drug manufacturer’s representative knows how many prescriptions the doctor is writing. The manufacturers print up a prescription pad with everything on it including the medication for the doctor to sign. All that is needed is a signature. The pads have a sequential number printed on them. So when the representative returns weeks later, all he has to do is look at the next number to know how many prescriptions have been written.
He will also drop off free samples for the doctor to give away to his patients. Your doctor will give you free samples to get you started on the medication. The companies know once you start, you will probably stay on the medication for a long period of time. So giving away a little bit of medication up from will pay off in big profits at the end.
When your doctor has the decision to make in regards to the medication he will prescribe, do you think these gifts are in the back of his mind? Now he has to decide whether to prescribe the less expensive generic or the more expensive brand and possibly get some freebees. The more expensive brand name drugs he prescribes, the more gifts, freebees, and “vacation CE” he receives. The more free samples he gives out, the better he looks in his patient’s eyes, and the better he looks in the manufacturer’s eyes. But you, the patient, will be spending money at the pharmacy for months buying the expensive brand drug.
The purpose of this article is not to decide whether this method of drug selection is immoral. Your doctor is supposed to choose the right medication for your condition. The fact that he is getting a reward for prescribing expensive medication has to be an issue.
The next time you get a prescription from your doctor, ask him about a less expensive generic. Just about every medication has an alternate that is available in generic form. The generics will always be cheaper. In prescription drugs, it is definitely not; “you get what you pay for.” Less expensive generics must work just like the more expensive brand name drugs. By using generics, you will spend less money every month.
Saturday, June 9, 2007
Friday, June 8, 2007
Treating ADD With Medication
Medication has long since been the cornerstone for treating Attention Deficit Disorder. There are several medications on the market and their effectiveness is rarely at question; however, they do not come without their side effects and criticisms.
The most common medication is methylphenidate, more commonly known as Ritalin and Concerta. Other stimulant medications are pemoline, known as Cylert; dextroamphetamine, known as Dexedrine and Dextrostat; and d- and l-amphetamin racemic mixture, known as Adderall.
Stimulant medications would typically make a person more active; however, with Attention Deficit Disorder, it has a calming effect. Therefore, it quiets impulsive and disruptive behavior quickly and effectively. For this reason, many teachers and parents sing its praises. However, this is only a treatment and not a cure for Attention Deficit Disorder. Ultimately, it is a temporary form of relief.
Other types of medicine sometimes used to treat ADD include atomoxetine, known as Stratera; buproprion, known as Wellbutrin; clonidine, known as Catapres; imipramine, known as Tofranil; and desipramine, known as Norpramin.
However, Stratera was recently the subject of a public health advisory issued by the Food and Drug Administration. The FDA issued a statement saying Stratera was linked to increased suicidal thoughts among children in an extensive study. This, of course, should be of great concern to parents, as well as doctors treating a child with ADD.
Side effects that are common with these medications include loss of appetite, stomachache, headache, insomnia, fast heart beat, vomiting, and chest pain. Many of these effects can be reduced or eliminated with the lowering of medication dosage, eliminating doses close to bedtime, and taking medication with food.
Due to the possible side effects, as well as the negative connotation surrounding over-medicating children, there are a lot of people against administering medication for ADD. However, this may also be due to the misconception that ADD is not a real disorder and is a parent’s way of getting out of controlling or disciplining their child. This, of course, is not true and such unfounded opinions should not be considered in seeking a treatment course for your child. Professional advice will prove to much more helpful in making sound decisions for your child and your family.
It should also be understood that, while medication may be effective, it is not a cure for ADD. Many doctors suggest using medication in conjunction with behavioral therapy to achieve the full benefit of both treatment methods.
The most common medication is methylphenidate, more commonly known as Ritalin and Concerta. Other stimulant medications are pemoline, known as Cylert; dextroamphetamine, known as Dexedrine and Dextrostat; and d- and l-amphetamin racemic mixture, known as Adderall.
Stimulant medications would typically make a person more active; however, with Attention Deficit Disorder, it has a calming effect. Therefore, it quiets impulsive and disruptive behavior quickly and effectively. For this reason, many teachers and parents sing its praises. However, this is only a treatment and not a cure for Attention Deficit Disorder. Ultimately, it is a temporary form of relief.
Other types of medicine sometimes used to treat ADD include atomoxetine, known as Stratera; buproprion, known as Wellbutrin; clonidine, known as Catapres; imipramine, known as Tofranil; and desipramine, known as Norpramin.
However, Stratera was recently the subject of a public health advisory issued by the Food and Drug Administration. The FDA issued a statement saying Stratera was linked to increased suicidal thoughts among children in an extensive study. This, of course, should be of great concern to parents, as well as doctors treating a child with ADD.
Side effects that are common with these medications include loss of appetite, stomachache, headache, insomnia, fast heart beat, vomiting, and chest pain. Many of these effects can be reduced or eliminated with the lowering of medication dosage, eliminating doses close to bedtime, and taking medication with food.
Due to the possible side effects, as well as the negative connotation surrounding over-medicating children, there are a lot of people against administering medication for ADD. However, this may also be due to the misconception that ADD is not a real disorder and is a parent’s way of getting out of controlling or disciplining their child. This, of course, is not true and such unfounded opinions should not be considered in seeking a treatment course for your child. Professional advice will prove to much more helpful in making sound decisions for your child and your family.
It should also be understood that, while medication may be effective, it is not a cure for ADD. Many doctors suggest using medication in conjunction with behavioral therapy to achieve the full benefit of both treatment methods.
Thursday, June 7, 2007
A New Way to Buy Prescription Medications
Everyone is well aware of the problematic health care industry. It seems the more and more you pay for your health care benefits the less and less they cover. There are many factors that go into the reasons for this failing health care system and I won’t go into all of them. One of the easiest and most obvious reasons we can point to is the cost of prescription medication.
I am personally on a bunch of medications so I compared some of the prices on my medications. Let’s begin with Nexium (taken for acid reflux disease). My pharmacy, CVS, charges $151.99 for a 30 day supply. Walgreens doesn’t even offer this medication to get a price comparison. Costco sells that same medication for $130.67. I also checked Lisinopril (blood pressure). CVS charges $13.39 for a 30 days supply, Walgreens is $13.90 and Costco is $6.79. We are not talking breaking the bank numbers here if you break it down per customer. If you imagine the amount of customers just Walgreens and CVS service times the amount of the inflated prices you can easily see how much more the insurance companies are shelling out than they do not have to.
If you pay for any medications out of your pocket, and many Americans do, you can see it is the simple decision to buy your medications through Costco. You do not need to be a member of their club to buy prescriptions either and if there isn’t one close by you can by them on-line.
There has been a lot of press about the cheaper costs of medicine if you buy it from Canada. Costco is even cheaper than Canada believe it or not. My father-in-law has been buying his medications through Canada for years and I just let him know Costco was even cheaper. His prescription, Vytorin, was $279 for a 90 day supply in Canada. Costco gives him a 100 day supply for $265 and he pays an additional $15 for shipping through Canada.
I have also been doing a lot of comparisons from on-line pharmacy websites. You may find some websites that appear cheaper than Costco or Canada but in most cases it is just appearance. Some of those websites charge monthly membership fees to be able to buy from them. I saw one for $15/month. Some others hide their costs in the shipping. Even worse, some of them are overseas and if they go out of business and keep your money good luck getting your money back.
Why am I pushing Costco? No, I do not own stock in it and I do not work for them. It just bothers me to see these billion dollar companies, like a Walgreens or CVS gouging prices so when I see one that is much more reasonable I like to point it out. So, help the healthcare system in this country, buy your medications at Costco.
I am personally on a bunch of medications so I compared some of the prices on my medications. Let’s begin with Nexium (taken for acid reflux disease). My pharmacy, CVS, charges $151.99 for a 30 day supply. Walgreens doesn’t even offer this medication to get a price comparison. Costco sells that same medication for $130.67. I also checked Lisinopril (blood pressure). CVS charges $13.39 for a 30 days supply, Walgreens is $13.90 and Costco is $6.79. We are not talking breaking the bank numbers here if you break it down per customer. If you imagine the amount of customers just Walgreens and CVS service times the amount of the inflated prices you can easily see how much more the insurance companies are shelling out than they do not have to.
If you pay for any medications out of your pocket, and many Americans do, you can see it is the simple decision to buy your medications through Costco. You do not need to be a member of their club to buy prescriptions either and if there isn’t one close by you can by them on-line.
There has been a lot of press about the cheaper costs of medicine if you buy it from Canada. Costco is even cheaper than Canada believe it or not. My father-in-law has been buying his medications through Canada for years and I just let him know Costco was even cheaper. His prescription, Vytorin, was $279 for a 90 day supply in Canada. Costco gives him a 100 day supply for $265 and he pays an additional $15 for shipping through Canada.
I have also been doing a lot of comparisons from on-line pharmacy websites. You may find some websites that appear cheaper than Costco or Canada but in most cases it is just appearance. Some of those websites charge monthly membership fees to be able to buy from them. I saw one for $15/month. Some others hide their costs in the shipping. Even worse, some of them are overseas and if they go out of business and keep your money good luck getting your money back.
Why am I pushing Costco? No, I do not own stock in it and I do not work for them. It just bothers me to see these billion dollar companies, like a Walgreens or CVS gouging prices so when I see one that is much more reasonable I like to point it out. So, help the healthcare system in this country, buy your medications at Costco.
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