Some woo being cut out..

[Nearly Sane]

Homeopathy soon!??


http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-39413915

[Stranger]

Homeopathy soon!??

We can hope. According to the radio report, not all of what they're cutting is woo, just 'low cost' stuff (like painkillers) you can buy over the counter - which is all very well if you can afford it - prescriptions can be free.

Cutting the total quackery first, including homeopathy, would seem to be a more sensible approach.

[floo]

Over the counter meds like pain killers should definitely not be on prescription. The NHS is really struggling as it is.

[Stranger]

Over the counter meds like pain killers should definitely not be on prescription. The NHS is really struggling as it is.

Right, so people who are told to take over the counter medicines by their doctor, who are entitled (due to their financial circumstances) to free prescriptions, should nevertheless be made to pay?

[BeRational]

Right, so people who are told to take over the counter medicines by their doctor, who are entitled (due to their financial circumstances) to free prescriptions, should nevertheless be made to pay?

I thought that when I heard the news.
I think if you are entitled to free prescriptions they should still be prescribed.

My doctor has told me when I needed something what to buy cheaper anyway, and I have done so.

[floo]

Right, so people who are told to take over the counter medicines by their doctor, who are entitled (due to their financial circumstances) to free prescriptions, should nevertheless be made to pay?

Yes! How many people who claim poverty smoke and drink?

[Stranger]

Yes! How many people who claim poverty smoke and drink?

I don't know - do you?

Are you trying to claim that there is nobody in the country who should be entitled to free medicine when their doctor decides that they need it? Unless you are, the exact criteria is another debate. You also need to bear in mind that some people need to take medicines over a long period of time - it's not a matter of getting a prescription because you woke up with a headache one morning.

[BeRational]

Also, children qualify for free prescriptions which I think should also be protected.

[floo]

I don't know - do you?

Are you trying to claim that there is nobody in the country who should be entitled to free medicine when their doctor decides that they need it? Unless you are, the exact criteria is another debate. You also need to bear in mind that some people need to take medicines over a long period of time - it's not a matter of getting a prescription because you woke up with a headache one morning.

As the NHS is strapped for cash only meds which you can't buy over the counter should be on prescription, and those should be free to those judged to be in need.

[Anchorman]

Over the counter meds like pain killers should definitely not be on prescription. The NHS is really struggling as it is.

-
Though this doesn't apply to Scotland, I'm concerned.
What if the person cannot afford paracetamol yet does not qualify for free prescriptions?

[Anchorman]

Yes! How many people who claim poverty smoke and drink?

-
Are you going to be the arbiter of who is, and is not, poor?

[Anchorman]

As the NHS is strapped for cash only meds which you can't buy over the counter should be on prescription, and those should be free to those judged to be in need.

-
So who does the 'judging'?

[floo]

On another forum a poster claims to be prescribed 100 paracetamol tablets at a time by their doctor! There is a reason why paracetamol is sold in such small quantities, because to overdose on them can cause death. Besides which, according to our GP even taking the prescribed daily dose for more than a few days can cause them to become less effective, and can damage you!   

[SusanDoris]

There are so many grey areas in this subject that no simple decisions can be made. But I think Floo has a point about those whose first priorities are smoking, drinking, and in many cases animals.

[Stranger]

On another forum a poster claims to be prescribed 100 paracetamol tablets at a time by their doctor! There is a reason why paracetamol is sold in such small quantities, because to overdose on them can cause death. Besides which, according to our GP even taking the prescribed daily dose for more than a few days can cause them to become less effective, and can damage you!

What's your point?

It is the job of a doctor to assess risks and benefits. Do you think the doctor who prescribed 100 paracetamol at a time (assuming the claim is true) didn't do their job? I have neither the information nor the qualifications to make that judgement - do you?

[Anchorman]

On another forum a poster claims to be prescribed 100 paracetamol tablets at a time by their doctor! There is a reason why paracetamol is sold in such small quantities, because to overdose on them can cause death. Besides which, according to our GP even taking the prescribed daily dose for more than a few days can cause them to become less effective, and can damage you!   

-
I've been prescribed Co-Codamol - a combination of paractamol and codeine - for nearly thirty years, now.
Whether I take the pressribed 8 per day is another matter entirely.
I get thm in 180 tablet boxes.
Are you suggesting that those prescribed them on a regular basis toddle to the pharmacit once or twice per week?
Will you finance the taxis?

[Harrowby Hall]

There are a couple of items in the list which have attracted my attention.

One is gluten-free products. I have a friend with coeliac disease - when she has visited me I have had to buy gluten-free stuff. I costs about three times as much as standard foods - effectively a surcharge for being ill.

The second point I want to make is about a drug which has restored the ability of men to enjoy consensual relations with their wives. Unfortunately, the prurient software which this forum uses censors my attempts to mention it.

On another forum a poster claims to be prescribed 100 paracetamol tablets at a time by their doctor! There is a reason why paracetamol is sold in such small quantities, because to overdose on them can cause death. Besides which, according to our GP even taking the prescribed daily dose for more than a few days can cause them to become less effective, and can damage you!

I have always thought that the restriction imposed on the quantity of common NSAIDS that can be purchased at one time is rather patronising. It also ignores the fact that an individual can visit several different shops and acquire rather more  than the "official" restricted quantity.

[floo]

What's your point?

It is the job of a doctor to assess risks and benefits. Do you think the doctor who prescribed 100 paracetamol at a time (assuming the claim is true) didn't do their job? I have neither the information nor the qualifications to make that judgement - do you?

Our doctor told my husband never to take the prescribed dose of paracetamol for more than three days at a time, as it becomes less effective and can actually damage your health.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paracetamol_toxicity

[Stranger]

Our doctor told my husband never to take the prescribed dose of paracetamol for more than three days at a time, as it becomes less effective and can actually damage your health.

You didn't answer my questions.

[BeRational]

There are a couple of items in the list which have attracted my attention.

One is gluten-free products. I have a friend with coeliac disease - when she has visited me I have had to buy gluten-free stuff. I costs about three times as much as standard foods - effectively a surcharge for being ill.

The second point I want to make is about a drug which has restored the ability of men to enjoy consensual relations with their wives. Unfortunately, the prurient software which this forum uses censors my attempts to mention it.

I have always thought that the restriction imposed on the quantity of common NSAIDS that can be purchased at one time is rather patronising. It also ignores the fact that an individual can visit several different shops and acquire rather more  than the "official" restricted quantity.

You can buy this drug that allows acts of great kindness to be performed between consenting couples from the internet.

[Stranger]

The second point I want to make is about a drug which has restored the ability of men to enjoy consensual relations with their wives. Unfortunately, the prurient software which this forum uses censors my attempts to mention it.

Sildenafil perhaps? I suspect the software is censoring the brand name to prevent spam/advertising...

[Rhiannon]

I seriously can't believe there are NHS doctors prescribing fish oils. Ffs.

As someone who has had skin cancer I worry about sun screen no longer being g available to those who need it. I do buy my own but not everyone can afford it.

[Harrowby Hall]

Sildenafil perhaps? I suspect the software is censoring the brand name to prevent spam/advertising...

Indeed, it was sildenafil and tadalafil

[Harrowby Hall]

Sildenafil perhaps? I suspect the software is censoring the brand name to prevent spam/advertising...

Yes - and the generic was the word I used. However when I added t*d*l*fil (which is also a generic) my efforts were scuppered. My point was that, in my experience, the latter is much more effective than the former and yet it appears to be considered for non-approval.

Note

When I tried to extend my immediate previous post (22) it was rejected. This is perverse!

[Harrowby Hall]

You can buy this drug that allows acts of great kindness to be performed between consenting couples from the internet.

Indeed you can.

Could someone tell me whether the public policy in respect of these drugs does not fall foul of the Equality Act (2010)? Oral contraceptives are prescribed free to women who want to enjoy a sex life without becoming pregnant, but PDE5 inhibitors, for men, are largely available only on private prescription. Surely, this is discriminating on the grounds of sex?