Pharmacies Turn Drugs Into Profits, Pitting Insurers vs. Compounders

US "for profit" medicne that is out of control.

Ummm, that's what Pharmacists did before there were "mass-manufactured" drugs. That's why they are still called 'Chemists' in the UK, and the difference between a 'Chemist' and a 'Dispensary'.

They made the remedies that people used before big pharma came about. Count on reporters to futz it up.

I beg to differ. Compounding pharmacies are typically regulated by the medical boards of the various states. When these pharmacies go beyond the law, as many have done with major league sports doping scandals, people end up in jail.

It's also the job of the insurance companies not to pay $1600 for a tube of diaper rash ointment that's inevitably going to be 95% petroleum jelly.

It's not really the pharmacist's fault, it's the fault of the doctors prescribing them, who are no doubt influenced by the drug companies who spend fortunes getting doctor to prescribe their drugs over the drugs their competitors produce.

That's the big problem with for-profit medicine - the goal is profit, not patient health.

Yeah, and that Tylenol you bought was 95% acetaminophen right?

Take a gander at the label some time - the active ingredients in most drugs (prescription or OTC), be they pills, liquid or creams are often a small percentage of the total volume.

Compounding pharmacies don't always require a doctor's prescription. Especially for unregulated compounds.

Compounding pharmacies don't always require a doctor's prescription. Especially for unregulated compounds.

That's weird - up here, anything that is behind the counter requires a prescription from the doctor, period.

Not true. I get my NeoCitran from behind the counter at the drugstore or Costco in Vic. No hassle, they just hand it over.

Not true. I get my NeoCitran from behind the counter at the drugstore or Costco in Vic. No hassle, they just hand it over.

That's what I get for generalizing...NeoCitran is considered OTC up here, but pharmacies often keep some stuff behind the counter because of the potential for abuse, theft or the possibility of using some drugs for making meth.

I beg to differ. Compounding pharmacies are typically regulated by the medical boards of the various states. When these pharmacies go beyond the law, as many have done with major league sports doping scandals, people end up in jail.

It's also the job of the insurance companies not to pay $1600 for a tube of diaper rash ointment that's inevitably going to be 95% petroleum jelly.
I know exactly what compounding pharmacist do on both sides of the border.

Yep, they make some pretty wicked THC brownies!

Compounding pharmacies don't always require a doctor's prescription. Especially for unregulated compounds.
If they are adding a drug that is prescribed then yes they do. That is the key ingredient of the compound and will need a doctor to order it so it can be dispensed. Other than that it's an OTC and would not be covered by insurance.......unless they are falsifying documents. I have an anti-inflammatory compound I've used which is 35% Ketoprophen. Since you can't get Ketoprophen OTC it needs a doctor to prescribe it.
In this case it isn't big Pharma pushing this, it's a pharmacy that is marketing a product "line" that has high margins. So much so that they can afford to have a rep detail it to doctors. The doctor may not even know how much it costs, but only that insurance covers it.

Yep, they make some pretty wicked THC brownies!
They can also make dog treats containing meds that Fido will eat right up instead of spitting them back on the floor. Same for kids medicine.

True.