As a physician, I want to offer my perspective on the “sticker shock” problem in the pharmacy. I am very conscious of the fact that my patients may not be able to afford medications I prescribe.
pharma
Your Doctor Might Want To Save You Some Money
By 2.9.07
First FDA Approved OTC Weight-Loss Drug: "Alli"
By 2.8.07
An obesity specialist in Washington, Dr. Arthur Frank, said Alli had a safe track record and could help patients lose 5 to 10 percent of their weight. On the negative side, Alli can cause annoying side effects including diarrhea and oily stools.
Are Drug Commercials Bad For Your Health?
By 1.31.07
“Most ads (82%) made some factual claims and made rational arguments (86%) for product use, but few described condition causes (26%), risk factors (26%), or prevalence (25%). Emotional appeals were almost universal (95%). No ads mentioned lifestyle change as an alternative to products, though some (19%) portrayed it as an adjunct to medication. Some ads (18%) portrayed lifestyle changes as insufficient for controlling a condition. The ads often framed medication use in terms of losing (58%) and regaining control (85%) over some aspect of life and as engendering social approval (78%). Products were frequently (58%) portrayed as a medical breakthrough.”
The researchers determined that big pharma advertisements don’t provide much factual information and Instead, rely on “characters that have lost control over their social, emotional, or physical lives without the medication.” We’re not scientists or anything, but we’ve noticed this too. —MEGHANN MARCO
FDA To Change The Way Drugs Are Approved
By 1.31.07 — Updated: 11.5.12
The Food and Drug Administration said yesterday that it is making changes in the way it operates to prevent the kind of drug safety controversies that have dogged the agency in recent years.
Cheap, Safe Drug Kills Most Cancers
By 1.30.07
Evangelos Michelakis of the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Canada, and his colleagues tested DCA on human cells cultured outside the body and found that it killed lung, breast and brain cancer cells, but not healthy cells. Tumours in rats deliberately infected with human cancer also shrank drastically when they were fed DCA-laced water for several weeks…DCA can cause pain, numbness and gait disturbances in some patients, but this may be a price worth paying if it turns out to
Hospitals Charge Exorbitant Markup For Generic Drugs
By 1.26.07
Hospitals are charging insane markups on generic drugs administered during observation stays.
Best Buy Drugs
By 1.24.07
- The project aims to improve access to needed medicines for tens of millions of Americans–because they lack insurance coverage for prescription drugs, because the prices of many medicines today are so high, and because many consumers and physicians may not be aware of proven and affordable alternatives.
Doctors can be influenced by marketing from Big Pharma, so arm yourself with knowledge about alternatives. There may be a generic drug that works better and is safer and cheaper than the next new thing. Vioxx anyone? —MEGHANN MARCO
Pfizer Sued For Marketing Viagra As A “Party Drug”
By 1.23.07
- An AIDS organization sued Pfizer Inc. on Monday over ads the group says encourage use of Viagra as a party drug. The group said recreational use of the drug furthers the spread of HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases.
Buy Drugs Online Safely
By 1.4.07
If Mexico or Canada are not viable travel destinations, you can also save money by saving drugs online, but beware of scam sites. (duh).
Save On Meds With A Simple Question
By 12.22.06
Pay less for drugs by asking your doctor if there’s an older pill that works the same.
Eli Lilly Promoted Drug For Unapproved Use
By 12.18.06
Drugmaker Eli Lilly pushed physicians to prescribe Zyprexa, a drug for schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, to patients having neither condition, NYT reports.
Save 75% On Drugs
By 12.12.06
You can cut your prescription cost by 3/4 by signing up for Free Drug Card.
Target Offers $4 Drugs At All Pharmacies
By 11.22.06
Target is set to begin offering its $4 generic drug program at all of its 1,287 pharmacies. Previously, Target only offered the program in markets where Walmart was offering their $4 program. No longer. From Reuters:
Millions of Acetaminophen Pills Recalled For Metal Shards
By 11.9.06
Millions of generic acetaminophen pills were recalled today after metal shards were found in in 200 pills.
Dem Gains Make Big Pharma Queasy
By 11.9.06
In other news, Democratic control of Congress cured our dyspepsia. — BEN POPKEN
Consumer-Directed Health Plans: Do You Like To Gamble?
By 11.5.06
Recently insurance companies, and George Bush, have been championing a new kind of health-care called “consumer-directed health plans.”
United Healthcare Doesn’t Feel Like Paying For Your Drugs
By 10.29.06
“Your drugs are too expensive.”
