The Inexplicable American Consumer Revolts Against Prescription Drugs

Testosterone Pit ^ | Nov 7, 2012 | Wolf Richter

[expat1000]

Anecdotal evidence has been coagulating into numbers, and these numbers are now beginning to weigh down corporate earnings calls. It appears the toughest creature out there, the one that no one has been able to subdue yet, the ever wily and inexplicable American consumer, is having second thoughts about prescription drugs. And is fighting back. A paradigm shift.

[Secret Agent Man]

Watch out, many people here will rip on you and say “who are you to post something that has people in charge of what they put in their bodies, not their doctors.”

I am not one of them. Beware though, if you’re not a doc, you’re not an expert and therefore you don’t know jack.

I still remember a video interview with a retired pharma ceo who point blank said that most drugs do nothing for many people, and that even their best drugs to their own testing only help at best 50% of the people that take them.

[TomGuy]

I am apprehensive of drugs from watching too many litigation commercials where drug companies are being sued.

Several years ago a physician had me on 3 name brand prescriptions running about $300/month out-of-pocket. I started seeing another doctor and he took me off all 3. Within a couple of years all 3 of those drugs showed up in litigation commercials and were pulled off the market.

I prefer generics. Many say they are not as good as the name brand, but I figure if the drug has been on the market long enough to reach the generic stage, it is more likely to be beyond the litigation stage.

[jeffc]

Kind of off-topic, but still related to prescription drugs: I have to take Synthroid or levothyroxin (the generic). I used to be able to get a one year prescription from a doctor, but now all they'll write me is a 3 month supply prescription, forcing me to go back every 3 months (and pay a healthy office visit fee and blood test fee each time!).

I see where you can, supposedly, get the generic synthroid from Canada without a prescription. Is this legit? Does anyone do this?

[metmom]

Maybe it’s thanks to all those commercials which push the Rx drugs and are forced to list the side effects, which range from hangnails to death.

For most of those drugs, the side effects sound worse than the condition and after hearing them, I’d be inclined to take my chances with the condition.

[goat granny]

90% of the drugs you get in the hospital are generic..somtimes a doctor orders a specific brand name but not too often...

[Montanabound]

I still get a one year prescription for levothyroxin. Is there a reason you have to be monitored so often?

[WVNan]

Same thing happened to me. I think it has to do with some new drug regulations (of course) that come from obamacare. for those on Medicare part D.

[blam]

"I see where you can, supposedly, get the generic synthroid from Canada without a prescription. Is this legit? Does anyone do this? "

I get all my antibiotics for me from here without a prescription and I order heart worm pills (Nuheart, same as Heartgard) for my dogs from Australia...even with the $12.48 required air freight, they're cheaper to order from there. No prescriptions required.

[AnotherUnixGeek]

I prefer generics. Many say they are not as good as the name brand, but I figure if the drug has been on the market long enough to reach the generic stage, it is more likely to be beyond the litigation stage.

My concern with generics isn't litigation - it's the fact that these generics are often manufactured in Chinese and Indian plants with questionable quality control, possibly impure ingredients, even expired, repackaged medications. It's not worth it for me - I make sure my family gets the name-brand meds and I pay the increased price.

[LadyDoc]

Lots of medicines are weak, so generics don’t make a difference... but watch out for thyroid medicine, which can vary from bunch to bunch, because it is a “natural” medicine, i.e. made from a thyroid. We used to use cheap thyroid extract, and had lots of trouble...now they grind it up and extract part of the thyroid and we have fewer problems.

They figure one third of medicines in Africa and Asia are either substandard or outright counterfeit. So even if you buy a brand name, if the pharmacy didn’t double check, it might be counterfeit. The World health Org estimates a million people die each year from the problem, usually kids who die of undertreated infection...

[LadyDoc]

heh...wait til Obama finds that one out.

Yeah: A lot of my farmers in the US used to use antibiotics from the feed store.

[all the best]

As bad as those side effects are there are no studies thath show the side effects of combining 2,3 or more drugs.
When I was a kid drugs were to be taken on a temporary basis to help get you through some crisis. Now they are to be taken for daily maintenance.
What drugs do is like twisting somebody’s arm to get them to do something. Might work in a particular short-term incident. But keep it up and you will wreck the arm and shoulder. Drugs force the body to produce some desired results. But they are force and there are consequences to be paid.

[EBH]

Not legit. If they ship to an American address you have to supply them with the ‘script. Canadian pharmacies that don’t require the ‘script have been found to be supplying fake drugs. Buyer beware...

[blam]

"heh...wait til Obama finds that one out."

Yup. I expect this window to be closed soon.