November Canadian
Pharmacy News
News Issue November 2005
Five Other Ways to Save Money on
Prescription Drugs
The feedback voicing that you would not participate in
Medicare's Prescription Drug Plan (Part D) was unanimous, thank you to everyone
who shared their opinions with us. Due to this overwhelming response to last
months Medicare article, we have five easy-to-implement alternate ways that you
could use to help save money on your monthly prescription drug bill. For those
of you who have yet to decide, please take the following options into
consideration:
1. Ask your doctor for free samples
Samples save money in the short term and allow you to
try new medications without wasting money if you have an adverse reaction to
the drug.
Pharmaceutical companies give samples to most physicians to promote their brand
name medications, so ask your doctor if he or she can provide free samples.
2. Switch to generics
Generics have the same active ingredients as brand
name medications, but offer substantial cost savings. The difference between
generics and brand name medications is that generics have different inactive
ingredients - dyes, fillers and preservatives - and different packaging. The
manufacturing process and facilities still meet the same standards for Good
Manufacturing Practices set out by the FDA as brand name drugs.
3. Split your pills
You may find savings based on the fact prescriptions
cost the same despite dosage strength. For example, instead of buying 50 100-mg
pills, you could buy 50 200-mg pills for the same cost, split them in half and
get twice the number of doses (100). If you are currently cutting your pills or
plan to in the future, keep in mind that it is extremely important to
accurately cut your pills. You can obtain a pill cutter from your local
drugstore.
4. Shop at online Canadian and European pharmacies
Online pharmacies such as
www.Medisave.ca offer brand name medications 20-75 per cent cheaper
than US retail stores and are a good source for maintenance medications, which
are less time sensitive than those used for acute conditions.
Canadian and European pharmacies offer many of the
same drugs available in the US. As in the US, these medications have been
subject to rigorous approval by their respective health
agencies. When shopping online, take precautions and buy from licensed online
pharmacies requiring a prescription from your physician and your medical
history. Our Safety section gives advice on how to protect yourself when buying
online.
If you are interested in comparing prices for
medications at Canadian and European pharmacies, visit the online drug search
engine at Medisave.ca: http://www.medisave.ca/MedisaveDrugs.aspx.
5. Discount prescription cards
Discount cards are available through employer group
benefits plans, drugstore chains and to individuals without insurance coverage.
You often pay an annual fee (around $50 per household), a cost that can be
recovered over several months, depending on your health needs. Discount cards
are widely accepted at any retail pharmacy location.
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Due to the difficulty in choosing among the large
number of plans being offered, you may want to consider some important points
that could create some problems for you:
-
Will a plan cover the beneficiary if they travel
outside their plan's coverage region?
-
Will your regular pharmacy be included in the plans
network of pharmacies or will
the beneficiary have to purchase from a designated pharmacy?
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Will all the medications you require be covered, and
how will the plan guarantee
access to your drugs when plan administrators have the right to change the plan
and the terms of coverage at any time?
-
Since Congress defeated moves to negotiate lower
prices, how will the price for a prescription drug be determined? Will they
follow the current pattern in which
drug companies continue to raise the prices of drugs in the U.S. significantly
more than the rate of inflation?
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US prescription drug prices are rising faster than
the rate of inflation. While the average inflation rate was 2.5 per cent
between 1993 and 2003, the cost of prescriptions rose more than twice as fast
at an average of 7.4 per cent a year, according to the Henry J. Kaiser
Foundation.
Don't get caught paying too much for your
prescriptions. Use some of the tips above to help you make the most of your
health care dollars. Visit www.medisave.ca
to compare prices.
As always, thank you for doing business with
Medisave.ca.
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On
The Rise: Avian Bird Flu
Bird flu is an infection caused by avian (bird)
influenza (flu) viruses. These flu viruses occur naturally among birds. Wild
birds worldwide carry the viruses in their intestines, but usually do not get
sick from them. However, bird flu is very contagious among birds and can make
some domesticated birds, including chickens, ducks, and turkeys, very sick and
kill them
Amidst fear that the avian bird flu may spread
globally among humans, the world needs to step up and realize the dangers that
can result.
The H5N1 strain of the bird flu became a worldwide
concern when it surfaced in 1997 in Hong Kong, leaving six people dead. In 2003
it was reported in poultry across Asia and resulted in nearly sixty deaths in
Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand and Indonesia. The latest death believed linked to
bird flu was late this September when a 27 year old Indonesian woman died in a
Jakarta Hospital.
Based on historical patterns, influenza pandemics can
be expected to occur, on average three to four times each century when new
virus subtypes emerge and are readily transmitted from person to person.
However, the occurrence of influenza pandemics is unpredictable. In the 20th
century, the great influenza pandemic of 1918-1919, which caused an estimated
40 to 50 million deaths worldwide, was followed by pandemics in 1957 - 1958 and
1968 - 1969. In this last global pandemic an estimated 4 million people died.
Experts agree that another influenza pandemic is
inevitable and possibly imminent.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that the risk of a bird flu
pandemic is at its highest since the 1968 outbreak, and that 2 to 7.4 million
people might die in a pandemic. "As people would have no natural immunity, a
new influenza virus could cause widespread death, illness, social and economic
disruption," said a spokesperson for WHO. Officials say humans can catch the
disease through close contact with live infected birds. The greatest concern is
the possibility of the H5N1 avian flu virus combining with human flu viruses,
triggering a global flu pandemic. If avian flu shows human-to-human sustained
transmission anywhere, there is danger everywhere.
No one can predict when a pandemic might occur.
However, experts from around the world are watching the H5N1 situation in Asia
very closely and are preparing for the possibility that the virus may begin to
spread more easily and widely from person to person. U.S. Secretary of Health
and Human services Mike Leavitt, met with leaders in Asia last month to urge
fuller international cooperation against an outbreak. Canada is also hosting a
major international conference on avian flu to discuss how ready the world is
to combat a likely pandemic.
As a result, you should be prepared ahead of time for
the worst case scenario. Do not be frightening or panicked, just be prepared
emotionally and logistically, help others prepare, support the preparedness
efforts of your government and understand the risks for if and when a pandemic
does begin. Read the next article for more information on treating and
preventing the flu.
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Treating
and Preventing the Flu
With the flu season fast
approaching along with increasing threats of the Avian flu, it is of great
importance to bring attention to this growing concern. Firstly, it is
important to know the difference between a cold and the flu. They are both
viral infections that cause similar symptoms, such as coughing and sore
throat, however a cold is only a minor viral infection of the nose and
throat.
The flu, on the other hand, is usually more severe, with
common symptoms that include a sudden onset of high fever, chills/sweats,
cough, muscle and joint pain, headache, fatigue and weakness and a sore
throat. Flu season usually lasts from November to March. It may take up to
three days to feel symptoms after you catch the flu (the incubation
period). Anyone can get the flu - being fit, active and healthy does not
protect you from getting this virus. Anyone can die from the flu - it
kills at least 10,000 Americans every year.
Your best protection from
the flu will be infection control. Infection control describes the simple
things we can do to protect ourselves and prevent the spread of the germs
that cause the flu. The flu is an infectious disease and there are simple
things that you can do to reduce the risk of catching it. The flu gets
into our bodies by being inhaled or through contact with our eyes, nose or
mouth. You can get sick by being sneezed on or by touching a surface that
has been sneezed on and then touching your eye, nose or mouth. Droplets
formed by coughs and sneezes can spread for about a meter. Because
droplets are heavy they don't remain in the air but land on and
contaminate nearby surfaces including our skin. Crowded conditions
increase the chance of becoming infected. The flu germs can last for up to
24 hours on a hard surface.
Awareness of how illness is
spread is a key factor in protection. If you have children you may need to
be particular about keeping them separate from others. Be aware also that
just because a person is not necessarily looking ill, they can still be
ill - and also be infectious to others. Be particular about hygiene,
especially keeping surfaces clean and throwing away potential infectious
materials (such as used tissues) etc. Always remember to cover your nose
and mouth when sneezing/coughing by using tissues or wearing a mask and
regularly wash your hands. If you are sick, isolate yourself from others.
Do not go to, or remain at work. Your chances of avoiding the flu are
better when you maintain a healthy lifestyle, include a good diet, have
adequate sleep, low stress, and lots of water to
drink.
With the growing concern of
the Avian flu, many are looking for a preventative measures to treat the
flu.
To prevent getting
the flu, or to lessen its severity, you should get a flu shot each fall,
before flu season starts. If you don't get the flu shot - or until the
shot takes effect - you can still protect yourself and family members from
getting sick. . Complementary to the flu shot is COLD-fX, an
over the counter product which is effective for both treatment and
prevention of the cold and flu. COLD-fX works
by activating and strengthening your immune system (immune cells,
cytokines and antibodies) directly, causing it to build up its defense
mechanisms so it is better able to protect you against invasion by foreign
particles such as cold and flu viruses.
Your doctor can
write prescriptions for antiviral medications such as Amantadine, an
anti-viral drug that is used for prevention or treatment of infections
with influenza. Amantadine can be taken as a capsule or in the liquid form
as syrup. Visit Medisave.ca
to learn more about Amantadine.
A flu kit has been
developed by Medisave.ca as our response to talks about the Asian Bird Flu
and the possibility of an outbreak. This kit is designed to help you be
better prepared and assist you in the event of someone in your house
becoming unwell.
Please visit
Medisave.ca for
more information on this kit and its contents.
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*NEW*Medisave.ca
Develops
'BIRD FLU' Kit *NEW*
A 'BIRD FLU' Kit has been developed by Medisave.ca
as our response to talks about the Asian Bird Flu and the possibility of
an outbreak.
This kit is designed to help you be better prepared
and assist you in the event of someone in your house becoming unwell.
Contents of this kit can be used for any type of
treatment of any flu as well as a severe respiratory illness such as the Bird
Flu. The kit includes basic instructions, advice and resources about how to
reduce the risk of influenza in the first instance and how to reduce the risk
of an infection being spread between people in a number of settings.
Please visit
Medisave.ca for more information on this kit and its contents.
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Your
Comments
"I just wanted to let you know how
happy I was with this order. I have never ordered any medicines out of the USA,
but that will be changing! I have been paying way too much for medicine here in
the stats even with insurance. I will highly recommend your services to all of
my friends and family. Once again, thank you for making my experience
pleasant."
K.R.
"I recently became a subscriber of your services. I
have not yet had time to receive my first order, but wanted to comment on my
experience with Medisave so far. The personnel that I dealt with over the
telephone were extremely pleasant and helpful. I had practically no "wait time"
while processing my order over the telephone. Your prices were more reasonable
than another Canadian pharmacy that I had been using that "claimed" that they
would match any other Canadian pharmacy's prices, but failed to. Just wanted to
express my appreciation for this service so far and look forward to receiving
my first order."
S.J.
"Excellent newsletter this month. You have expressed
my sentiments on Medicare. I had not planned to participate because I don't see
how I can save any money. In fact it will cost me more. Also the article on the
emergency medical kit is very helpful. Thank you so much for sending it. I am
very satisfied with your excellent service and am happy to be saving money on
my prescriptions. Yours very truly."
V.B.
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MediSave
Customer Feedback
Thank You - we greatly appreciate all of the feedback
you have been sending our way. We would love to hear your comments on this
issue of the newsletter! If you have any additional feedback, suggestions or
concerns in regards to our service please share them with us via e-mail at:
CustomerService@Medisave.ca.
Medisave.ca
1364 Cliveden Ave
Delta, British Columbia
Canada V3M 6K2
Toll Free Tel: 1.877.888.DRUG (1.877.888.3784)
Toll Free Fax: 1.866.728.8064
Copyright 2004 Medisave.ca. All rights reserved.
http://www.MediSave.ca
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