Vanity: Where to buy large quantities of medication

Self

[far sider]

Does anyone know where a person can purchase large quantities of medications? Following thyroid cancer treatment 10 years ago I need synthroid and I would like to be able to have more than a monthly refill. Thanks.

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TOPICS: Health/Medicine
KEYWORDS: prescriptions; rx; supplychain; thyroid; vanity

[Persevero]

I take synthroid and my doc prescribes 90 at a time. Cheaper that way too.

Also you can put aside a pill or two each time and build a stash.

[Red Badger]

MLK Boulevard............Chris Rock................

[iontheball]

You may have to fight like hell to get a 90 day supply. First, you have to personally ask your physician to make the script out for ninety days. After you get the script make a copy of it because you may then have to fight with the pharmacy. If the pharmacy refuses to fill it for 90 days get your doc to intercede on your behalf. If it’s a ‘maintenance’ drug, which yours appears to be, there’s no reason in hell you shouldn’t be able to get a 90 day supply.

[Sarcazmo]

I wonder why anyone would fight it?

Land of the free indeed.

[luckystarmom]

I have no problems getting a 90 day supply

[normbal]

Speaking as a doctor (board-certified in Family Medicine x 25 years) let’s start with basics.

Thyroid hormone has a LONG serum half-life. This means if you miss your daily dose for a WEEK, you’ll still have about HALF the original amount that was circulating in your blood on carrier molecules and freely on day zero.

First: I can’t tell you the number of little old ladies and worry wart 30-somethings who crashed my office schedule BEGGING ME to write or call in an EMERGENCY prescription for their thyroid medicine as they lost theirs, dumped it in the toilet by accident, grandkid was playing with it, spilled into the dog’s water bowl, left in a hotel, on cruise ship or just NEGLECTED to get their prescription filled OR make at LEAST an annual appointment to get blood tested and a refill.

I’m a doctor, not a babysitter.

Second, I was once a pharmacy tech in the dark ages of medicine BEFORE mandatory expiration dates were applied. In the mid-70’s we were still doing biological/quantitative assays for things like tetracycline and thyroid hormone.
MOST hormones are incredibly stable molecules if kept cool, dry, in the dark, in SEALED containers. One med lab I worked at had a fifty year old bottle of cholesterol as a calibration standard for one test - chemist there said it was the same molecule then as it was half a century earlier. Part of my job was instituting the first expiration date log in our hospital (Army) pharmacy and I was amazed at the amount of meds we had in stock going back to at least the Korean War. 5 year was maximum THEN, FDA laater adjusted it, IIRC to 2 years.
Possibly at the request of PHARMA. Arbitrarily short expiration dates force consumers to buy more medicine. Opioids stored in some places have maintained their potency for over a century.

3 - There ARE other sources for thyroid hormone. “ARMOR” or its bioequivalent (a non-standardized natural product… dried/ground bovine or porcine thyroid) is still in use among the “natural” and “alternative” medical community and there are places online you can look up to find out how to use it (small doses, titrating to effect while measuring said effect by basal body temperature). In the event of a major disaster, presumably beef and pigs will still be used for food. There is NO “vegan” substitute.

4 - MOST doctors should, IMHO, write a prescription for you for a full year’s supply of your medicine once your TSH levels are reliably within the zone, your weight, energy levels, etc. stabilize. I have. I do. I’ve also in some cases ordered an entire bottle of 1,000 LT3 or LT4 tablets for reliable patients. THis is NOT considered “standard of care,” as most doctors are SO afraid of being sued fully into bankruptcy they no longer take such chances PLUS most doctors work for HMOs or other 3rd party payer -dependent practices which dictate how many visits patients can be milked for in a fiscal year.

This last part has pissed me off endlessly for almost 40 years (since I entered med school anyway), the bit about how frequently patients should come in for exams, and what tests to do.

ANNUAL EXAMS ARE A SCAM - for many, if not most, patients. IMHMO.

On the other hand, patients are rarely compliant with treatment guidelines, protocols and ultimatley don’t, won’t and the effing lawyers make it impossible fo them to take responsibility for their own diseases/conditions/treatments.

Like I said, I’m not a babysitter. I also don’t own anything (seriously, nothing is in my name, it’s ll in my wife’s or in trust). You can’t get blood out of a rock, as my grandmother used to say.

“DO YOUR OWN RESEARCH” then talk to your doctor about a prescription.

Otherwise Glen Beck advertises for JACE CASES, and there are other companieus now which WILL do what you’re asking.

It’s still - until Kamala and the communists take over - a somewhat free market.

[luckystarmom]

You can also pay for it without going through insurance. It’s not super expensive.

[daydreamer]

Alldaychemist.com

Daughter needs it.

Years worth of 150 mg for about $40.

Indian company. Slow but reliable. They actually verified first before sending.

[Bob434]

Where can you get armor without script? A quick look showed it needs a script?

[Vigilanteman]

My father was a veterinarian. Often times, there are animals that were tested for human drug approval. Pigs tend to be among the most common test animals because their digestive system is closest to humans.

If you can find out the animal equivalent, it can often be ordered online or out of a catalog. Only rarely is a script from a veterinarian required. If you can find a friendly vet, there might be help with both issues.

Confession: I had the Covid-19 twice (despite both jabs and a booster). Both times, I took a 1/5th dose of Ivermectin sold at my local Agway store. It was a 1/5th dose because the standard is designed for a 1250 pound horse. I was over the worst symptoms in three days and tested negative in five.

[daydreamer]

And if worst comes to worst, you need to find animal thyroid, pig thyroid is best for human consumption. Easiest way to administer is to dry and encapsulate.

[LilFarmer]

Hubby and I did these… I think maybe a better deal than Jace (but still expensive)

https://www.twc.health/products/emergency-preparedness-kit

[ALASKA]

I think everyone should be thinking about this.

[Vaduz]

Amen funny but factual

[Levy78]

Hey doc, can I get year’s supply of testosterone cypionate? 😁😁

[Delta 21]

This link still works for Ivermectin. Give them a call. Very nice. Eager to help. Maybe they have your thyroid meds, too.

https://www.buy-pharma.md/Ivermectin-p-923.html

[iontheball]

I wonder why anyone would fight it?
____________________
One reason is that that the more often the refill (30 day) the more they can bill you for each refill. Another dark thought that comes to mind is that they may figure you will not live another 90 days! As someone else said, it’s usually cheaper for a 90 day refill in that some don’t charge a co-pay or as much for a 90 day but will charge a co-pay for a 30 day. Go figure, the entire industry is full of red tap and twists and turns. For us old fogies there is a mail order feature called Caremark where they will mail out your drugs and it seems they actually prefer 90 day refills, I suppose because the frequency of the mail out expense is reduced.

[UnwashedPeasant]

For a maintenance drug like Thyroid medicine, it is normal to get a 3-month supply with 3 refills, so it lasts a year. Insurance companies frequently recommend this so you can use their mail order drug program.

Also check goodrx.com and costplusdrugs.com for the best prices.

For good prices and no need for a prescription, Indiamart.com is the Ebay of India, and India has health freedom. You have to factor in the cost of shipping, but you can stock up on a multi-year supply. Prices are negotiable. Many sellers do not take credit cards. Some sellers are pharmacies. You can enter your email to solicit quotes, and you will get many.

India is one of the world's largest producers of generic medications and a major supplier to the U.S. market.

[BipolarBob]

My insurance requires 90 day supply through the mail order program. Go through mail order and explain it’s their requirement.