http://www.medrants.com/archives/1692 Internal medicine, American health care, and especially medical education Sat, 11 Feb 2012 15:15:48 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 http://www.medrants.com/archives/1692/comment-page-1#comment-2951 John Anderson Mon, 22 Dec 2003 19:33:22 +0000 http://medrants.com/archives/2003/12/22/what-drugs-should-be-otc/#comment-2951 Can't a prescription for OTC be written? After all, I heard recently that one of the pharmas was going to market a prescription sugar-pill (placebo) for doctors who have hypochondriac patients. I want a prescription for M&M's! Can’t a prescription for OTC be written? After all, I heard recently that one of the pharmas was going to market a prescription sugar-pill (placebo) for doctors who have hypochondriac patients. I want a prescription for M&M’s!

]]> http://www.medrants.com/archives/1692/comment-page-1#comment-2950 Fakeo Nameo Mon, 22 Dec 2003 15:16:25 +0000 http://medrants.com/archives/2003/12/22/what-drugs-should-be-otc/#comment-2950 Every few years I travel to an area that has malaria. I always look up what the CDC is recommending for that area, then make a doctor's appointment. Then I explain to my doctor where I am going, they look up the same info and write the script. Then I have to fight with my insurance company to pay for it. "Let me get this straight, you will cover me if I get malaria, but you don't want to pay for the pills to prevent it?" They usually come through. If I didn't have to start the series before I left, I would just buy what I needed over the counter in the country when I arrived. I would cost much less and the health outcome would be the same. Obviously I am in favor of more OTC drugs. Every few years I travel to an area that has malaria. I always look up what the CDC is recommending for that area, then make a doctor’s appointment. Then I explain to my doctor where I am going, they look up the same info and write the script. Then I have to fight with my insurance company to pay for it. “Let me get this straight, you will cover me if I get malaria, but you don’t want to pay for the pills to prevent it?” They usually come through. If I didn’t have to start the series before I left, I would just buy what I needed over the counter in the country when I arrived. I would cost much less and the health outcome would be the same. Obviously I am in favor of more OTC drugs.

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