FDA May Allow Drugs Go OTC, but.....

[greatunclebill]

speaking of otc, in alabama anything with sudafed and it's equivalents is available over the prescription counter without a prescription but you have to sign for it so they can track usage. given the crystal meth epidemic, i agree with this. but, carried to the extreme, the folks in mississippi must make an appointment with a doctor to get a prescription for the same products. they are not otc in mississippi. sometimes we shop in mississippi a few miles away because of the lower sales tax, but if we want those drugs we have to buy in another store when we come home.

i agree with cpap machines, at least your first machine, requiring a prescription. i do not agree with cpap supplies and masks requiring a prescription.

[VikingGnome]

I have Part D Medicare for prescriptions. But Kroger and Wal-Mart have three of the generic drugs I take each month for just $4. My co-pay under Part D is also $4. So I always tell the cashier to NOT submit my $4 generics to Medicare. I also take one drug that is not covered by Medicare at all. So never have them submitted to Medicare. If they do, it's that much more money towards the donut hole. Part D doesn't care WHO pays for the drugs. So if the amount is the same without Medicare Part D, I'm not going to accelerate towards the donut hole by paying the $4, Medicare pays nothing, but it counts against my "covered" drugs. It's nonsense.

Statins are very dangerous drugs. They can cause a rare but lethal condition in some people. Also, liver enzymes need to be check regularly as statins can harm your liver. Why would they ever make statins available without a prescription?

I received a "Drug Discount Card" in the mail the other day,. It said, "present this card to any pharmacy and you could save up to 75% on your prescriptions." I was skeptical. First, there was no information about the company that offered the card (not insurance). There was no information about my privacy rights. So every time I use this card, somebody is collecting specific information about me and my pharmaceuticals used and I don't even know who they are. Maybe they sell their database to Life Insurance Underwriters or who knows. I threw the card away. I can't believe a card arriving in the mail without my asking for it could save me 75% of anything.