Dr. Grumpy: "So, how are you doing with the new medication?"
Mr. Noventa: "It's awful! It isn't helping my symptoms, and hurts my stomach. It also makes me sleepy all the time, I can't concentrate, and I think it's thinning my hair."
Dr. Grumpy: "Okay, then why don't you stop it, and we'll try switching you to..."
Mr. Noventa: "I'd rather continue it, because I just bought a 90 day supply."
At your age you should never buy a 90 day supply of anything.
ReplyDelete"This food is terrible - cold and tasteless!!"
ReplyDelete"I know... and such small portions, too!"
I kinda get his point. I hate when I've been stupid enough to get a 90 day supply of a new drug - especially one of the expensive ones - without finding out if it will work first. I'm always forgetting that you can get just one or two weeks of it, and come back for the rest if you keep going.
ReplyDelete"I bought a subscription to 'Grit' from a kid who was selling them door to door, and three years later I still read every issue cover to cover."
ReplyDeleteSometimes I like to give out samples for patients starting a new med. That way they can try them out for a couple weeks before buying. It totally sucks when my doc changes my med right after I paid for them. As silly as that guy sounds, can't say I haven't felt that way before.
ReplyDeleteWell, maybe the side-effects will wear off, or I'll get used to the thinning green hair and the unibrow, but the drug seems to be working. Maybe in another two or three months, that problem will be circumvented by another new set. Seriously, though, my son's low hepatic metabolism (genetic) has made starting new drugs an issue, and I wish I would remember to remind the doctor that giving a new drug a few weeks to show whether it's working or whether the side-effects are kindling might require smaller drug supply at beginning. I'm not really in favor of general 'sample' industry which perpetuates the 'bait and switch' culture of 'me, too' drugs, but for new wayyyy expensive (non-formulary) drug entities and novel agents to 'expose' willing victi... er, I mean, patients, for providing drug safety and reliability information, as well as efficacy, sometimes this is vastly beneficial to people than 'wasting' drugs, or unnecessarily limiting access due to simple cost factors.
ReplyDeleteNow there's a person who understands the value of a dollar!
ReplyDeleteTheir health, well...not so much but a dollar, yes!