posted on Dec, 21 2009 @ 05:33 PM
The system in the UK is different, what happens is the Doc, prescribes the drug, but no matter what the price is, lets say you might pay $250.00 for a
bottle of pills, and because that's the price set on it, but here, no matter what the pharmaceuticals price, we only pay about £7.50 which is about
$15. pers prescriptions. the problem we have is that because the government pay the difference via our National insurance contributions, which is
about £12 a week, $25 there about's, our doctors are sometimes reluctant to prescribe the right kind of medication for the job, because they are
instructed to keep it down to the cheaper option because of the price. So what you get there is improperly diagnosed, or simply given the wrong drug.
I have osteoporosis, and fro years was prescribed a drug called amitriptyline, which you may or may not know is predominantly an anti depressant, but
it is used as a muscle relaxant, but i was told after years of taking it by another doctor that the prescription along with several other pain killers
was just the wrong combination. so i have all the problems of over use of the amitriptyline, ie loss of gum, and teeth falling out to mention just
two, but i have now gone down from about 9 different drugs every morning to just 2, which are Tramaset. and opiate based low dose morphine drug, but
it was more expensive than the last lot, it was only because the new doc, saw what the problem was and decided to do the job properly, I am always on
the lookout for an alternative to this drug as i would like to cut them out altogether, but have not yet found anything yet.
So I do feel for you guys over there, and find it a shame that you cant have something similar to what we have but with the quality of doctors you
have. I don't know, but i think that would be a combination.
and in responce to the OP, i do think your right that most people want a quick fix, and a pill or two is the answer. but from my own experience
that's not how to do it, they need to spend more time in looking at the problem and doing it right rather than trying to make a few quid for the
pharmaceutical company, and themselves in some cases i guess.