Everything You Need to Know About Buying Prescription Drugs
by Debra Welborn
Summary
Currently, over 2 million people purchase drugs from foreign Internet sites and/or from other countries such as Canada, Ireland, Israel and Mexico. However, there is a great deal of misinformation on this increasingly common practice. Prior to this book, there were many safety and legal questions and very few answers. Here, you will find:
*Price comparison for the top 200 prescription drugs
*Detailed safety information
*Consumer information and resources
*Real stories in “It Could Happen to You”
Excerpt
Why this book?
Have you ever walked into a drugstore to purchase your prescription drugs, only to walk out feeling like you were ripped off? If you have, you are not alone. Rarely a day goes by that you don’t see an article about the high cost of prescription drugs in a magazine or newspaper. Prescription drugs have become not only a monthly household expense, but in many cases, a “big ticket” item. In the U.S., the average annual cost of prescription drugs is approximately $449.00 per person. [1] However, some American families spend $3,000 or more per person per year. This amount can be more than a family’s annual utility bill(s).
The costs (as well as the usage) of prescription drugs continue to rise. Prescription drug sales in 2004 increased by 8.2% to a whopping $221 billion in wholesale dollars [2]. Prescription drugs continue to become an increasingly larger component of medical treatment and health care costs, with spending more than tripling since 1990.
Little “colored pills” have become the panacea for a young and healthy life. Any why ot? Pharmacotherapy was one of the most significant medical contributions of the 20th century. Prescription drugs have increased longevity and have allowed Americans to have a better quality of life.
Due to the fact that prescription medication effect almost every American on a daily basis, it’s important to obtain as much knowledge about taking and buying prescription drugs as possible. While there is no shortage of information abouto prescription drugs available to the public, it is often confusing and contradictory. Much of the information is inaccurate, and even dangerous. For the average consumer, it’s almost impossible to make wise, cost-effective choices bout prescription drug therapy….
In the past, you might never have even known what questions to ask in order to shop around for prescription drug discounts. This book will give you the questions and the answers. It is designed to be a reference—a vital source of general information about prescription drug therapy. You will also find information regarding non-prescription drug therapy (OTCs) since many times there are other options to the high-cost brand name drugs. Americans are usually very savvy consumers. They shop around for bargains and they know how to buy at discounts. In fact, Americans know more about shopping for everything from automobiles to avocados than they do about shopping for prescription drugs at discounted prices. Although prescription drugs should never be considered average consumable goods, the same principles that say there are price variations, fluctuations and discount strategies for all products is more analogous than one might think. This book will assist readers in their “comparison shopping” by presenting all the facts and comparisons required to do a painless yet thorough job.
Part I: Prescription Drugs 101
Part II: Buying Prescription Drugs in the U.S.
Part III: Buying Prescription Drugs in Canada
Part IV: Buying Prescription Drugs in Europe
Part V: Buying Prescription Drugs in Mexico
Part VI: Prescription Pathways
Frederick Fell Publishers Inc. http://www.fellpub.com
Author's Biography
Debra Welborn, M.S., has been working in the health care industry for over 30 years. She has worked in HMOs and Insurance companies, medical software companies, and pharmaceutical corporations. She has been instrumental in developing pharmacy formularies, negotiating pharmacy contracts, participating in pharmacy and therapeutics committees, and selling pharmaceuticals to physicians and hospitals. In her spare time she acts as a contract reviewer for HRSA, a division of the Department of Health and Human Services.