I was needing to restock the medicine cabinet the other day and couldn't find several OTC items that we normally have on hand. One item was some bottles of magnesium citrate for constipation. I had to get them from behind the pharmacy counter!?! I bought all they had which was just 4 bottles. I expect to see more of this under ObamaCare. I also suspect that we'll have less and less OTC as Big Brother will be grabbing at more and more control. We're already having to get cold and cough meds from behind the counter and "they" are keeping a list of everyone who buys them.
I've heard that some prescription meds are also getting substituted with inferior generics that are messing with people's systems. Such as Warfarin has long been the generic for Coumadin but now patients can't get that so have been getting their refills with some other generic and it's not working. There's also been problems with some birth control prescriptions getting delivered on time so that ladies are having to change to different brands and some doctors aren't informing them to use extra protection for a couple because of the lag time, sigh. So, you might want to have that tinfoil hat handy because if we can't keep a minimum home medicine cabinet, then something is going on.
Have lots of issues with this. Express Scripts is the re-imburser/supplier for mail ordered drugs. They bought out scandal plagued Medco not long ago $29 B...ES is the gov’t’s Medicare and Tricare Life provider...they offered Walgreen’s such a low compensation for their drugs, near to below cost, that WAGS did not renew contract. They will do this with each chain as their contracts come due. They also do BC/BS and several other private health ins.
They want you to mail order your drugs, and they will provide the cheapest generic they can get from any country they can get it from. You will not know from one order to the next what you will get. It is getting that way at the drug store too...one of my drugs keeps getting switched when there is a shortage, and most of them do not work or have horrid side effects. Synthroid is one of those I have to have name brand, generic does not work as well and has side effects the name brand does not have.
And with 0 chasing our drug manufactures OUT of the US drug shortages has become a big thing.
I am hyper sensitive to drug side effects, and it is a night mare dealing with ES. They now reimburse for 1 in 2 health insurances gov’t and private. MONOPOLY here we come.
And a lot of RX drugs are now becoming OTC and are no longer covered by your ins for them. People will begin to treat themselves for what could be serious conditions, because it is easier than getting in to see a doc or get an RX that is usually a high $ co-pay.
Chronic reflux is serious business and not to be treated lightly. My grandmother had chronic acid issues she used baking soda on, and she ended up with a massive stroke that killed her before she hit the floor. This was back in the 70’s.
I for one do not want to be Express Scripts guinea pig. Have had the same pharmacy for 25 years and don’t plan to change.
They are especially trying to force Medicare and ret. Military over 65 Tricare For Life to use their uncertain mail order drugs. Can you imagine your insulin sitting in a hot mail box IF you happen to be gone that day? What about emergency RX for infections we all get from time to time but need treated starting today, not a week from now or more for them to mail it to you.
I’m like you I keep a decent OTC med supply to treat small stuff and find it hard to find some of the brands I like to use that are reliable. More store brands cropping up and they come from the same manufacture, but fillers are different and you react differently to them.
And for all you TFL retired Military people Shingles vaccines are covered with co-pay, you have to get on waiting list...you have to have a RX and get the shot at the drug store, not your doctor’s. And Nexium is done at generic price for those who have acid reflux or GERD.