Posted by yxibow on December 6, 2007, at 2:37:30
In reply to OTC meds???, posted by Zyprexa on December 5, 2007, at 19:07:26
> Anyone know much about this? I saw on TV that medications might be going OTC. More accessable to people who need them. Psychotropics, and others, like lovastatin.
>
> This would be a realy good idea!I'm not sure about psychotropics, that would require some rather large review by the FDA, because the quality of pharmacy techs and drugstore help varies wildly. Even at one pharmacy, a tech did not know that a particular prescription drug had multiple uses.
And also, remember what you wish for, because there are consequences. Deaths. Oh, I think I feel rather depressed, I'll take MARPLAN OTC. (just an illustration).
Now lovastatin (Mevacor) could become Mevacor OTC, this is scheduled for discussion this month. But often you end up with medications that are more expensive than the ones you would have paid with insurance.
They are patent extenders to a degree.
It took a long while for Claritin OTC to become (pick your pharmacy brand) loratadine OTC and even the generic is not the cheapest thing around.
poster:yxibow
thread:798990
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20071204/msgs/799054.html