FDA may let patients buy some drugs without prescriptions

Ought Six · 04-30-2012, 07:35 PM

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/...t-prescriptio/

flowerchild · 05-01-2012, 11:34 AM

This is a really dangerous. High blood pressure should be monitored. This also shifts the burden of completely paying for the prescripition onto the person, and away from the insurance companies.

Mama Alanna · 05-01-2012, 03:55 PM

Also, there's plenty of evidence that for some people, OTC = harmless. Yep. Tell that to the people who take multiple shotgun cold remedies, all containing acetimenophen (Tylenol.) They've kissed their livers goodbye.

Add in those like my father, who think that if 1 pill = good then 3 pills = even better, and you have a disaster in the making.

Mayerling · 05-02-2012, 12:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mama Alanna

Also, there's plenty of evidence that for some people, OTC = harmless. Yep. Tell that to the people who take multiple shotgun cold remedies, all containing acetimenophen (Tylenol.) They've kissed their livers goodbye.

Add in those like my father, who think that if 1 pill = good then 3 pills = even better, and you have a disaster in the making.

All medicine except most controlled substances are available OTC here in Egypt. The problems is not so much with people abusing or not knowing how to properly take their blood pressure or diabetic medicine but abusing antibiotics.

spinnerholic · 05-02-2012, 06:30 AM

It's already happened with most allergy drugs. Almost as soon as the protection period, forbidding other pharmaceutical companies to come out with generics, at least several of the most prescribed allergy medications were classed as OTC drugs.

And guess what? The cost of those OTC drugs went sky high. Some to well over $1.50 per pill, or even more.

And if hypertension, [high cholesterol] drugs join the OTC class, just how are pharmacies going to monitor the cholesterol blood levels? Something a doc must order a blood test to check for the condition and how well, or how badly, the drug acts???

Maybe give the pharmacists permission to set up a blood draw section in their stores? And since the blood draws would be in effect OTC too, then Medicaid and Medicare will stop paying for those also?

sandyd · 05-02-2012, 10:50 AM

spinner, it won't surprise me if the test goes OTC, home finger stick. I found one for blood sugar, the test for long term glucose info, OTC. $20 for two tests. H1Ac being available surprised me but now I'd expect a lot more tests to end up OTC and insurance won't pay for 'em.

One way or another they are gonna get us to pay more for medical. It's where the money still is.