Medication Noncompliance

Doctors quoting medicine prices to patients?

This is what I want to do to myself when
Doctors quote medicine prices to patients
(Courtesy of Erik Johansson)

This is a sincere plea. Please do not quote non-funded medicine prices from MIMS drug reference to patients. It will be like me telling the patients (who ask me how much the Dr visits cost) that they will only need to pay $10 for a 45min consultation. I will put on my captain obvious hat and construct the directional flow of a drug below:
                         
                     Markup + GST                           Markup + GST                           Markup + GST
Manufacturer        ==>        Wholesaler       ==>          Retailer            ==>           Patients
(Pfizer, GSK etc.)                                                         (ME!)

                             (1)                                 (2)                                    (3)

If you quote from MIMS, you are quoting (1), which as you can see is no where near (3). Surprisingly, I come off as the douche-bag to the patients because I am perceived as the big pharma trying to rip them off (which I find really hard to do seeing as the Dr's quote is less than my cost price!)

So please, give the pharmacy down the road a quick call, hell, I'll even give you my personal number if you email me here.

FML

No date for Valentines? Hate life? Generally pessimistic? Think 2012 will be the end of the world?

Use some FML eye drops!!

"I Want Something Chemical-Free"

If I had a dollar every time I hear the above, I'd be typing this post over breakfast in a Munich cafe.

A women came in today and tried to obtain a refund on a tube of cream by claiming that it caused these not visible bumps on her forehead. Did I mention the tube is empty? She looked up these horrible looking chemicals on the back and *gasp* there are preservatives inside!! Because of that, she is dead convinced its "that preservative" that's caused these reactions - despite the fact that she's been using it "for ages" and the reaction only started 10 days ago.

"But it's the only thing I am using, the only thing!!!!" (Translation: I'm not using anything else that *I think* is causing this reaction) I later found out she also uses Elizabeth Arden make up.

Did it matter that I was patient and explained that without the preservatives she'd probably be slapping on multi-dipped serving of unsanitary goo on her head? Or the fact I tried to explain just because it has a chemical name doesn't mean it's bad? It was like playing a harp before a cow

Yes, it's horrible how these companies are "getting away" with putting nasty-sounding chemicals in facial products but last I checked, you didn't mouth off to god in your prayers for including isoamyl acetate or 2-heptyl acetate in the banana.

Don't get too excited, that was in no way an admission of validity for creationism on my part.