Pharmacy

Beware Overseas and Offshore Pharmacies

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I had never thought about the dangers of ordering drugs online until recently when a friend of mine purchased a bottle of blood pressure medication from an overseas pharmacy. She doesn’t have insurance, so she thought that she could save some money by purchasing the drugs from an offshore pharmacy that got them cheaply from countries like Canada and England. It turns out that this is a bad idea.

My friend spent about $200 on her medication, which is about half of what it was going to cost her here in the States. That’s a great deal, right? Well, it would have been had she ever received the drugs. Instead, all she got was the nightmare of credit card fraud. Not only did the company charge her for the pills that she never got, but they also used her account to make a bunch of random purchases. She says that they bought TapouT T-shirts, books, exercise DVDs and even some kind of colon cleanse drink.

Credit card fraud is a big problem, but the more that I thought about it, the more convinced I became that she had evaded an even bigger problem.

Although my friend had a prescription for her drugs, the offshore pharmacy did not require one. They said that they had a doctor on staff who would write her a prescription, making everything legal. What kind of doctor would write a prescription for blood pressure medication without ever consulting the patient? Probably the same kind that would send you expired drugs or perhaps the wrong medication altogether.

There probably never was a doctor. Still, the possibility that she could have taken dangerous drugs is very scary. She learned her lesson and I’ve learned mine too. Only buy drugs from a pharmacy that you can trust. You never know what you’ll get otherwise.

Filed Under: Medical Care Technology Tagged With: Canada, England, Pharmaceutical drug, Pharmacy

How Pharmacies Help You Track Your Medical Prescriptions

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The medical field has many specialists: cardiologist, endocrinologist, dermatologist, internist, oncologist, and neurologist just to mention a few. As you age, you may need the help from several of these different types of professionals.

Aging causes many aches and pains and physical ailments and your general family doctor may recommend a specialist.Sometime the specialist prescribes medicine that helps you with the health problem you are experiencing.

If you have more than one ailment, you are referred to more than one specialist.Each specialist then prescribes medication to alleviate that ailment. Many times, the specialist isnâ€™t aware of other medications that you are taking.

Sometimes complications arise when different medications are taken simultaneously. It is very important that you keep accurate records of the prescriptions and medications that you are taking.

Many pharmacies now help you keep track of your prescriptions. If you visit the same pharmacy for all of your prescriptions, the pharmacy uses a software program that keeps record of your medications. The software lists which prescriptions you have, which doctor ordered the medication, and the dosage of your prescription.

Every time you visit the pharmacy, the pharmacist can print up this list of your prescriptions. He can also print out a report on the medications and how they interact. The reports tell the side effects of taking the medications and give guidelines on when you should call your doctor if complication arises. These reports assist you in maintaining optimal health while taking your prescribed medication.

Sometimes a pharmacy is located within a store that sells general merchandise. If you regularly visit these pharmacies to get your medication, the pharmacy offers gift card programs. Every time you get a prescription filled with the pharmacy, you earn a reward point. After you have earned ten reward points, you receive a gift certificate for ten dollars that you may then use to purchase merchandise within the store.

Be sure to check with your pharmacy to see if they have the software program that provides these reports. Keep all reports they may give you. Also see if they offer reward points.

Filed Under: Medical Care Research Tagged With: Health, Medical Care Technology, Medical prescription, Pharmacist, Pharmacy

Why Pharmacies Make Mistakes

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It’s clear that when it comes to your personal health there is no one you trust more than your doctor. They have the knowledge, the training, and the familiarity with you to make sure they are always giving you the best treatment available. So when you go in for something as simple as a respiratory infection or some sort of bacterial virus and the doctor gives you a prescription you often pay the prescription no mind because there is no way that your doctor made a mistake. So assuming that he didn’t make a mistake, what is to say that the pharmacy didn’t?

We take pharmacies to be on top of their game but that isn’t always the case. Pharmacies are dealing with a lot of things at once so it begs the question, why aren’t you watching your pharmacy more? When you drop off your prescription there is always a system in place to verify that your medication will be filled correctly but that doesn’t mean it will. There are a number of factors that can account for mistakes.

Pharmacies get rather busy. Some stores fill over 600 scripts a day and in the middle of that they are answering questions for patients, dealing with customer service issues, talking to doctors offices, dealing with the insurance companies, and then still taking in inventory and speaking with drug reps. It’s not right when accidents happen but it certainly understandable. There is nothing worse than a pharmacist who is busy. Things get messed up.

Other times it’s a simple err in judgment. Your doctor might write something down but then the pharmacist thinks they read something different. The miscommunication can occur in the drug itself or the strength, quantity, or directions. There is more than a few reasons why you can have a pharmacy mix up when it comes down to handwriting. If the pharmacist thinks they don’t understand they will call the office but sometimes they think they read it right and they don’t. So next time you go into your pharmacy make sure you are watching closely.

Filed Under: Medical Care Supplies Tagged With: Health, Medical prescription, Pharmacy

Double Checking the Pharmacies Work

How can you make sure you are getting the right medication from your pharmacy? We want to believe that pharmacies never make mistakes but if you have watched the news or talked to some of the people around you you will find that people who work in pharmacies make mistakes all the time. Sometimes, and most of the time, they are minor errors like spelling or perhaps a miscount in the pill quantity, but occasionally they are bigger errors that can result in dispensing harmful medication to people who can suffer fatal outcomes if not caught early enough. So how do you assure that your medication is one of the medication that is filled correctly.

Before you even arrive at the pharmacy make sure you speak with the doctor about the brand and the generic name of the drug they are putting you on. Ask why they are putting you on it and what is it for. If you can do that and write it down then you are way ahead of the game. Once you have taken care of that it is on to the pharmacy. Once you get there review the prescription with them. Ask them simply what does it say as far as the drug and see if what they are reading matches up with what you have. If it doesn’t then you may have to politely ask them to speak with your doctor. The pharmacist cannot take your word for it. They must be clear with the doctor themselves.

Once you have come back to pick up your medication make sure you take a moment to take a look at the pill bottle. Too many times people pick up medication and don’t spend the five seconds it takes to look at the bottle. Just a simple double check to make sure that there was nothing that got mixed up during the filling or labeling process will do you a world of good. If there is then bring it to the attention of the pharmacist and they will be more than happy to correct it.

Filed Under: Medical Care Supplies Tagged With: Pharmacist, Pharmacy, Prescription drug

Understanding the Prior Authorization

There used to be a time when you would get a drug prescription from your doctor, take it to your local pharmacy, wait ten minutes and then take your medication home. Well, those days are long gone. Getting a prescription from your doctor is no longer the key to getting the medicine you want or need. Now, the most important thing is running the medication past your insurance company and hoping and praying that they pay for it. If you have ever heard the words “prior authorization” then you understand that sometimes getting the script is a problem, but perhaps you don’t know why. There is a reason for prior authorizations.

When an insurance companies goes through there drug list they set parameters for each drug. They decide if they pay for it, how much they pay for it, and at what age they pay for it. Occasionally they make exceptions for patients who meet some specific criteria. Let’s say a 40 year old woman is having a severe bout of acne. Perhaps she has tried all the over the counter treatments but there were of no help. She sees her doctor and her doctor gives her a script for some heavy duty acne cream. The pharmacy may try to bill it to the insurance company but the insurance company requires a prior authorization.

The reason is they don’t have it in their guidelines that a woman over the age of 25 should experience acne problems so they won’t cover the medication. They will then require that the doctor call them and tell them the exact reason why she is in need of such an expensive and unusual cream for her age. The doctor will have to say the right things. To say she suffers from acne may not be enough but to say she suffers from chronic acne may be all that is needed. Sometimes they will come back and reject the claim outright and then it’s up to the doctor and the patient to decide what is the next best course of action which may include a new prescription.

Filed Under: Medical Care Reform Tagged With: Health, Insurance, Pharmacy, Physician

Why Medication Expires

Taking medication seems like a simple process. You take your pill and then you forget about it. However, in today’s advanced world we know a lot more about medication than we did 50 years ago and because of this we have to act accordingly. There is more than enough information for you to play by the rules, and with the money that you spend in a given year on prescription medication would you really want to do something that renders that medication ineffective? The answer is no and so by following some steps you can make medication a pleasant surprise.

Do not pay attention to the expiration date on the box but rather pay attention to the expiration date on the label from the pharmacy. The reason for this is that once a package leaves the pharmacy they cannot verify the conditions that the medication has been kept in. For instance, let’s say you receive a cream for eczema from your local pharmacy, but in the course of the year that you have this medication you keep it in a hot car, then a freezing cold car, then a steamy bathroom where the cream traps in moisture. The fact is the weather can and will affect the medication.

When a pharmaceutical company puts an expiration date on a medication it’s because they can be assured that it will remain in the proper storing conditions. When that same medication is taken from the pharmacy to the patient those proper storing conditions cannot be assured so it’s best that even in adverse weather that the medication is not used for longer than the year on the expiration date.

Does this mean that in perfect home conditions that a medication will stop working after a year? Absolutely not. But this is just a guideline to protect you from a medication that could have lost its potency. It’s one thing to have to spend money on a new cream every year. It’s another thing to keep using a medication that isn’t helping. There is nothing economical about that.

Filed Under: Medical Care Research Tagged With: Health, Pharmacy, Prescription drug

Additional Rules for Taking Medication

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Just because you pick up your medication from the pharmacy doesn’t mean you are doing everything you can to make sure that you are in your best health. Learning how to take the medication matters more than anything. It’s not as simple as just putting in your bathroom medicine chest(which is actually frowned upon) but it’s far more involved than that. There is a lot to know and following a few simple guidelines can not only make sure that your medicine is more effective but also make sure that you don’t lose your mind keeping track of the medication.

1. Take medication at the same time everyday – This is a little different than it sounds. Of course some medication is meant to be taken at night while others are meant to be taken once, twice, or three times throughout the day. This is just how medication works but if you are smart you should be taken all morning medications at the same time every morning, like right before you eat or right after depending on the type of medication you have. The reason is your body should get into the habit of getting what it needs at the same time everyday so it learns to last that long with the medication you have given it.

2. Set a Schedule – Take a pill box that you can purchase at your local pharmacy and have it separated at the beginning of each week. This can do you wonders as opposed to just trying to keep track of it in your head. Then use your smart phone if you have one to set multiple reminders through your alarm clock function or your calendar function. Most calendars have reminders on them. This will take the pressure off of you to remember when you were supposed to take them.
The bottom line is to get into the habit of taking your medication. Skipping doses or just taking them later can have negative effects to the way your body responds to the medication and that’s a problem you would rather not have.

Filed Under: Medical Care Technology Tagged With: Health, Medical Care Technology, Pharmacy, Prescription drug

Using Rx Drugs For Daily Use

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How Medicine Helps the Body

Taking Rx drugs is beneficial for the body when illnesses are present. Medication helps the body fight off further infections, as well. Drugs work most effectively when they are present in the body over a constant period of time so they can work through the bloodstream. A consistent flow of medicine stabilizes the body, strengthens it to fight off infections and illnesses, and guards against further illness invasions.

You can take medicine in almost any form, whether it’s liquid, powder, or pills. You can take some with or without liquids, depending on what the medication is and what its effects are when mixed with other substances. Doctor prescriptions often advise patients to take certain medications on an empty stomach. This allows the medicine to get into the bloodstream faster and work quicker. Medications that require you to consume a small amount of food before taking are stronger solutions. Taking them in food will slow down the absorption into your bloodstream. This helps your body release the medicine over a slower rate at a more controlled pace. Food and/or milk can keep the stomach from getting upset when you take certain drugs.

Getting the Right Medical Prescriptions

Doctors issue prescriptions for medications, and making sure you get the medicine that you need for your illness is very important. Doctors typically won’t issue prescription medicines for patients over the phone or without an examination, so it may be necessary to schedule a doctor’s appointment before you can get any medications.

To help you on your visit, make a list of everything you want to discuss with the doctor so you don’t forget anything critical to your illness. Although some things may not seem important, mention them to the doctor anyway and let him assess whether or not it’s important. It’s better to be safe and mention something than to keep quiet.

Filed Under: Medical Care Reform Tagged With: Health, Medical Care Technology, Pharmacy, Prescription drug