“I wonder which pouch my medication is in. ([This was] sent to me by the Caremark prescription fulfillment center. The drugs required refrigeration.) “
drugs
Wait, Where Is The Medication Located?
By 7.24.08
Could Generic Drugs Be Even Cheaper Without The Middle Man?
By 7.23.08
The WSJ Health Blog says that pharmacy benefit managers are marking up the amount they charge your insurance company for generic drugs and keeping the difference. Often the mark-up isn’t too severe, but the WSJ has one example where the difference was over a hundred dollars.
Modern Psychiatry: Brought To You By Selfless Pharmaceutical Companies
By 7.13.08
Psychiatry is nothing more than a well-funded front for big pharma, according to lawmakers investigating the field’s premier organization, the American Psychiatric Association. Unlike psychologists, psychiatrists can write prescriptions, giving pharmaceutical companies a powerful incentive to lavishly subsidize both their lifestyle and profession.
Personal Finance Roundup
By 7.10.08
Seven Websites That Saved Me Money in the Last Week [The Simple Dollar] “Here are seven websites I used to directly save money over the last week, my exact purchases and savings, and how much cash they saved me.”
11 Cheap Generic Drug Programs That Will Save You Money
By 6.24.08
Here at the Consumerist we’d like you to save money. That’s why we’ve put together a handy list of those $4 generic drug programs that you’ve been hearing about. We hope this list will make it easier for you to locate the store that has the best deal on all your medications. If your local grocery store is doing a similar program and we missed it, please add a link to the comments. If you need help researching the medicines, we recommend Consumer Reports’ excellent site Best Buy Drugs. Enjoy!
Call For Entries: What Are The Most Disturbing "Side Effects" Mentioned in Drug Ads?
By 6.17.08
We’re putting together a “top 10” list of disturbing side effects mentioned in drug ads and we wanted to make sure we didn’t miss any.
The Battle Of The Biggest Killer: Prescription Drugs V. Illegal Drugs
By 6.14.08
So, Florida is apparently plagued by addicted prescription-poppers and not the pot-addled deviants targeted by our government’s so-called “War on Drugs.” A new report shows that prescription drugs killed three-times more Floridians than illegal drugs, and not because old people can’t follow doctor’s orders. Addictive prescriptions like Vicodin, OxyContin, Valium and Xanax killed more users than all illegal drugs combined.
FDA: If You Use The Foot Ulcer Cream Regranex, You May Die From Cancer
By 6.7.08
Bad news from the FDA: people who treat their foot and leg ulcers with the cream Regranex are five-times more likely to die from cancer.
Drug Maker Develops "Abuse-Resistant" Oxycontin
By 5.2.08
In response to the epidemic of opiate addiction, Purdue Phrama LP the maker of Oxycontin, has developed a new version of the powerful painkiller that’s “harder to abuse.” According to an AP article, the government will soon be examining this new incarnation of the drug and evaluating the manufacturer’s lofty claims. How could this drug be made “abuse-resistant?” Details, inside…
Wachovia Now Being Investigated For Drug Money Laundering
By 4.28.08
Wachovia, you old rascal! As soon as you wrap up one unsavory scandal, a new possible scandal comes to light. U.S. justice authorities are investigating the bank for possible money laundering through Mexican and Colombian money-transfer businesses. The Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday that “the bank is possibly facing a deferred-prosecution agreement with the US Department of Justice that would subject it to ‘extensive federal oversight,'” but Wachovia denies that any such discussion has taken place.
Recalled Heparin Contaminant Confirmed, And Congress Grills FDA On Inspections
By 4.24.08
Researchers have identified the chemical in the contaminated blood thinner Heparin that killed 81 people in the U.S. and made patients here and in Europe sick:The researchers freeze-dried the heparin and used a combination of nuclear magnetic resonance imaging and liquid chromatography-mass…
You Can Still Join A Fen-Phen Class Action Lawsuit
By 4.22.08
This lady started taking Fen-Phen and lost 30 lbs, but now she’s got high blood pressure, sleep apnea, and swollen legs, possibly indicative of primary pulmonary hypertension (PPH), the negative side effect American Home Products (now known as Wyeth) were successfully sued for upwards of $14 billion. When she called Wyeth, they told her that she had “waited too long” to file a lawsuit. However, the 2006 Fen-Phen settlement actually has a clause that says there’s no statute of limitations on filing a claim. Therefore, you can still join a class action lawsuit against them. Also goes to show you that calling up the customer service department probably isn’t the best route to take if you’re looking for objective information about suing that company…
Pre-Emption Doctrine Would Make FDA Responsible For All Drug Problems, Shield Big Pharma From Lawsuits
By 4.8.08
Johnson & Johnson is waiting to hear whether or not a judge in Ohio will allow any lawsuits over its Ortho birth control patch to move forward, and the New York Times says lawyers on both sides think there’s a good chance he may find in the company’s favor based on the doctrine of pre-emption. The argument goes that it’s the FDA’s responsibility to monitor the safety and labeling of drugs that go to market, and therefore if something goes wrong, it’s the agency’s fault and not the pharmaceutical company’s.
Need 30 mg? Walmart Charges You For Three 10 mg $4.00 Prescriptions
By 4.4.08
WalMart advertises that generic prescriptions are just $4.00 for up to a 30 day supply. What they don’t tell you is that it must be what they consider a “commonly prescribed dosage,” so if your doctor decides you need a different dosage they count it as separate prescriptions. For example, if a pill comes in 10mg, 20mg or 40mg strengths and your doctor wants you to take 30mgs. WalMart counts that as 3 – 10mg prescriptions and charges you $12.00 for a 30 day supply.
Walgreens Fills High Blood Pressure Prescription With Generic Allergy Pills
By 3.24.08
Tina claims that last December she had her prescription filled at a Dallas Walgreens store, and was surprised to see that the pills had changed.
By 3.19.08
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A woman says she found a strange white substance, which police identified as crack, in her fish sandwich bought at Rally’s. The fast food place says, “We take the matter very seriously, and are committed to the safety of our food and customers.” [News12]
11 Drug Companies Agree To Pay $125 Million For Fixing Prices
By 3.13.08
The Prescription Access Litigation (PAL) coalition filed suit against 11 drug companies in 2002 for artificially inflating the average wholesale price, or AWP, of certain drugs, including ones used to treat serious illnesses such as cancer and HIV. This week, PAL announced that the companies have agreed to pay $125 million to settle—82.5% of the amount will be used to compensate third-party payor’s claims, and the remaining 17.5% will be used for consumer claims. Here’s a list of the drugs involved, and after the jump is a quick guide to see whether you’ll qualify for a claim, pending the judge’s approval of the settlement.
