Internet - prescription drugs

The_Fat_el_Hombre

hollydays wrote: »

I find that all extremely worrying,unbelievable you would take that risk.Although at 18,and knowing how useless SOME doctors can be I can understand your feelings of helplessness.

Glad you can sympathise with the doctors bit mate. When I was 14 for some reason (can't remember why) I had a different doctor for a small time who prescribed me drugs for my condition and all was well! Then it was back to the old doctor and the same frustration and helplessness

hollydays wrote: »

To say the results spoke for themselves,all I can say is a heroin addict wil get the result he craves from street heroin,but its not heroin that is so bad for you its BAD heroin,pure heroin is something different.

Wow, easy there mate!

hollydays wrote: »

You may not know until some time in the future the effect of the drug you took,nor whether the dose you took was right for you.

It was a good few years back now so I imagine I should be ok (touch wood) and as I said I'm pretty sure the stuff I got was kosher. I also thoroughly researched the drug (read the specs as well as online forums and diaries of people taking the drug) and knew exactly what to expect while taking it and had a good idea of what dosage I should have been taking. I started off with a reasonablly low amount and slowly upped the dosage. As a marker, the doctor that prescribed my sisters drug prescribed her a higher dosage and I weighed more when I took it than when she did when taking hers (weight affects dosage IIRC)

On the contrary, I remember the first prescription drug I ordered off the net wasn't what it said it was and was clearly very suspect. It was pretty obvious to see that it wasn't kosher and I never used it

Another one was when I had a slight rash on my arm. I researched medications and went to an online pharmacy and ordered various things and tried them, they didn't work. I thought that maybe my self diagnosis was inaccurate and the rash on my arm might not be what I thought it was. I went to the doctor with the idea being that if she could at least diagnose what the rash was then I could get the drugs to deal with it (I'd lost all faith in her and didn't think she would presribe me anything - more likely tell me to eat fruit and drink water or something). Anyway she prescribed me some stuff for my rash and when I went to get it from the chemist I noticed it was exactly the same thing that I'd bought from an online pharmacy a few weeks previously! Same manufactures, same sized bottle, evrything! It didn't work either!

moneysaving_pharmacist

blueberrypie wrote: »

I find it quite hypocritical for Pfizer to talk about "fake" Lipitor when they deliberately lied about "real" Lipitor themselves!

Hence my comment on its trustworthiness.

(My background is in medical research; as a consequence, I believe very little of whats said by Pfizer - or any other large pharmaceutical company. It's not even close to being a responsible industry.)

There's a world of difference between misrepresenting data (for a drug which is effective), and making a counterfeit product which contains who knows what in it. I'm far from Pfizer's biggest fan - their new distribution system has caused no end of hassle, and promotional literature from any pharma company is rarely worth the paper it's printed on, but counterfeit drugs are a real problem.

moneysaving_pharmacist

blue_monkey wrote: »

I've been taking the same medication for my asthma for the last 10 years, I've had the condition for the last 29 years. I used to be able to get 6 inhalers for £14.20 of whatever it costs for 2 prescriptions, I have recently changed doctors though and now they will only give me one at a time so now it is costing me £42+ for the same medication as 'it is policy to only give one month at a time'. They have not asked to see me each month but they will not give me the medication.

I think it is ridiculusu and I get annoyed for a start that I have to pay to stay alive, if I become ill and do not take the inhalers then I become ill and so cost the NHS more. So why is it not in their interest to prescribe me the medication I need? I wish I had known about this before i moved doctors that is for sure, I would not have registered. My husband is asthmatic and so he has to have the same medication and that now costs the same.

The docs know I need them, my asthma is not going to be cured overnight is it? If I knew I could buy a years supply over the internet and save me money then I would.

Or should I just stop taking them and get ill and then have to take more of their time. I do not like to waste a doctors appointment but they have told me that if I want more I need to make an appointment with the doctor who may or may not give me more. So what a waste of a doctors appointment for a silly policy they have,

There are huge numbers of people out there with poorly controlled asthma - salbutamol is one of the most over used medicines, imho, because it just gets put onto repeat and patients aren't reviewed properly.

Apart from salbutamol, every asthma inhaler is cheaper to have on an NHS prescription than buy privately, even if you only get one at a time. A single Seretide 250 inhaler costs over £60.

pollocmc

hungrynurse wrote: »

yes it is, thats why the legal status according to BNF.org.uk is 'prescription only drug'

A little bit of searching would clear this up.

1. Yes it is illegal to sell from the UK POM medicines without a prescription filled out by someone qualified to do so whether NHS or private.
2. It is quite possible for someone qualified to provide a prescription after an "internet interview". The drugs can then legally be supplied to the buyer. Whether it ethically sound is for others to debate.
3. It is legal for someone in the UK to buy medicines abroad (excepting controlled substances) via the internet and have them shipped to a UK address as long as they are for personal use and not to be resold or given to others for whatever reason.

So you are not doing anything illegal get to your wee blue pills from abroad your only worry is the trustworthyness of the supplier. i.e. doing your own research and not replying to "Enl@rge your Pencil Cheap Vagiar" type emails!! :rotfl:

bauctu

blue_monkey wrote: »

I've been taking the same medication for my asthma for the last 10 years, I've had the condition for the last 29 years. I used to be able to get 6 inhalers for £14.20 of whatever it costs for 2 prescriptions, I have recently changed doctors though and now they will only give me one at a time so now it is costing me £42+ for the same medication as 'it is policy to only give one month at a time'. They have not asked to see me each month but they will not give me the medication.

I think it is ridiculusu and I get annoyed for a start that I have to pay to stay alive, if I become ill and do not take the inhalers then I become ill and so cost the NHS more. So why is it not in their interest to prescribe me the medication I need? I wish I had known about this before i moved doctors that is for sure, I would not have registered. My husband is asthmatic and so he has to have the same medication and that now costs the same.

The docs know I need them, my asthma is not going to be cured overnight is it? If I knew I could buy a years supply over the internet and save me money then I would.

Or should I just stop taking them and get ill and then have to take more of their time. I do not like to waste a doctors appointment but they have told me that if I want more I need to make an appointment with the doctor who may or may not give me more. So what a waste of a doctors appointment for a silly policy they have,

The NHS now encourages doctors to only give one item, this is a cost based policy unsurprisingly.

If you are that much then you should get a prescription pre-payment certificate. £28 for 3 months, you can usually work it so you only need 3 certificates a year (make sure you get a prescription the last few days of certificate 1, then you'll have a month before you need certificate 2)

I have real issues with asthmatics having to pay for medication, diabetics get it free as do people with certain heart conditions. I think all chronic diseases should have free prescriptions. They are moving in the right direction with free prescriptions for people with cancer so maybe one day it will happen.

Fire_Fox

bauctu wrote: »

The NHS now encourages doctors to only give one item, this is a cost based policy unsurprisingly.

If you are that much then you should get a prescription pre-payment certificate. £28 for 3 months, you can usually work it so you only need 3 certificates a year (make sure you get a prescription the last few days of certificate 1, then you'll have a month before you need certificate 2)

I have real issues with asthmatics having to pay for medication, diabetics get it free as do people with certain heart conditions. I think all chronic diseases should have free prescriptions. They are moving in the right direction with free prescriptions for people with cancer so maybe one day it will happen.

I was about to post the same as your first two paragraphs!

Whilst I don't disagree with your last paragraph, there is some logic in the system as it stands. For example diabetes is closely linked with a number of other conditions, some of which are caused by imperfectly controlled blood glucose levels (problems with the kidneys, eyes and feet) and some which tend to cluster with diabetes (metabolic syndrome).

Most type 2 diabetics require medication to control their blood sugar within a few months of diagnosis, in many cases ending up requiring two or even three different of tablets. A high percentage will also require medication to control concommitant high blood pressure. It is not uncommon to find resistant hypertension in these patients - I have seen cases where it is necessary to prescribe four antihypertensive agents. Then there is the recommendation for all diabetics to be prescribed aspirin and a statin ... :eek:

Whilst asthma may be a serious condition in and of itself, it does not generally lead to additional life-threatening conditions. Thus most asthmatics will only require one or two inhalers to control their asthma symptoms. Perhaps the occasional prescription for antibiotics and/ or oral steroids, tho these are most often needed by those who choose to smoke. :rolleyes:

*debbie*

Last summer I was diagnosed with thyroid cancer and had my thyroid removed, so I'm (apart from the active cancer treatment periods) going to be on thyroxine for the rest of my life.

Being without a thyroid entitles me to free prescriptions for ALL prescriptions. My GP said that I ought to refuse to have free prescriptions as she thinks it is a waste of NHS money! I disagree with her - after all, the pill is free, nobody complained when I had that. However, I would gladly pay for drugs not concerned with the thyroid, but that cannot be done unless I go to a new chemist, where they don't know me. My current chemist says they get into trouble if they charge a patient with a valid exeption certificate.

Even though I get the drugs for free, I still can only get one month's prescription at a time, I can understand (although deplore) the reasoning behind this if you are paying for prescriptions, but if they are free, surely it would be more cost effective to give 6 months at a time, like they do for the pill.

xycom1

*debbie* wrote: »

However, I would gladly pay for drugs not concerned with the thyroid, but that cannot be done unless I go to a new chemist, where they don't know me. My current chemist says they get into trouble if they charge a patient with a valid exeption certificate.

That's nonsense, as long as you fill the back out to say that you've paid, then it's up to you. They will get into trouble if they change it and tick a box, but keep your £7.10.

*debbie* wrote: »

Even though I get the drugs for free, I still can only get one month's prescription at a time, I can understand (although deplore) the reasoning behind this if you are paying for prescriptions, but if they are free, surely it would be more cost effective to give 6 months at a time, like they do for the pill.

And what if your dose or the doctor's prescribed treatment changes? Then there might be 5 months worth of medication to be disposed of that can't be reused. I know this is unlikely to happen in your case, as even if your dose changes you can take multiple tablets to make up the dose, etc. but frequently people are moved from one tablet to another, different strengths etc. - especially the elderly and with anti-hypertensives.

The one month policy is there to reduce cost and reduce waste - it's too complicated to treat every person and case as an individual so it's one rule for everybody.

moneysaving_pharmacist

*debbie* wrote: »

Even though I get the drugs for free, I still can only get one month's prescription at a time, I can understand (although deplore) the reasoning behind this if you are paying for prescriptions, but if they are free, surely it would be more cost effective to give 6 months at a time, like they do for the pill.

No, no, no, no. Next time you go to your local pharmacy ask if you can see how much waste they have had returned. I guarantee you will be shocked. Issuing large quantities on prescriptions only encourages stockpiling.

Issuing prescriptions for six months worth at a time would also be disastrous for community pharmacy. Dispensing fees would fall off a cliff (we currently get paid 90p per item dispensed, so £11.70 a year for a patient on 28 day prescriptions who has 13 items a year. This would reduce to £1.80 a year with six monthly prescriptions) and stock holding would balloon which would probably cause stock shortages.

It would also increase the risk of dispensing errors. It is bad enough checking off six boxes of metformin for someone taking two tabs three times a day, but checking 36 boxes would be a nightmare, and the packaging tends not to be too bad for metformin - there are some companies who have terrible packaging (ask your pharmacist if they have a box of bendroflumethiazide and prednisolone from CP Pharma, or boxes of tegretol 100mg and 200mg you can look at).