Drugs, drugs, drugs - Part II
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Most of you, even with the simplest knowledge of medicine, have heard of such diseases as diabetes, high blood pressure, arthritis and pneumonia. But if you have turned on the TV lately or picked up any magazine, you have also become acquainted with such entities as restless leg syndrome, insomnia and depression as legitimate medical diseases you thought were just part of getting through the stresses of living. Somehow, feeling “blue” got to be depression, which evolved into a mood disorder, which is now a chemical imbalance, requiring a doctor’s prescription for Prozac or one of its cousins. What we used to call “heartburn” when you ate one too many spicy meatballs, and was often relieved by a swallow of Maalox, may now be classified as “acid reflux disease” and demands the purple pill costing as much as $5.50 a pill. That child who lives next door and goes to school with your son cannot just be a brat who could use some more responsible parenting. No, I am afraid he must be labeled with the honorable designation of having an “attention deficit disorder,” and be appropriately medicated for the benefit of the student, the parent and the teacher. Even before all this TV advertising, there was a need for “mother’s little helpers,” but the consumer demand for pills to take away the stresses of getting through the day seems to be rising all the time. And speaking of rising, Viagra, Cialis and Generic Levitra are on the air waves constantly, even during the children’s hour, available to elevate more than just your mood. Now when you make an appointment to see the doctor, take off time from work, make your co-payment and wait your turn to see the man in the white coat, more likely than not, you will not be satisfied unless you walk out the door with a prescription, or even better some free samples. You have had this bad cold for several days and you know you need an antibiotic. You developed an outbreak of zits a week before the prom, and you absolutely have to be cleared up by Friday. You have your first real date since your divorce, are hoping to get lucky, and maybe one of those blue pills wouldn’t be a bad idea.
In a recent issue of American Medical News it was noted that in a university medical clinic when branded drug samples were not available, doctors wrote prescriptions for as many as 40 percent of less expensive generic drugs, but when samples were handed out, this was more in the 10 percent range. Thus, patients who received “free” samples actually had greater out of pocket costs for their prescriptions. Does this seem a little like that nefarious guy in dark glasses giving a kid a free trial of some crack, knowing he will be back with some money for more?