Why Are My Prescriptions So Expensive?

Soaring prescription prices… Why is this?

No one likes spending a lot of money on prescriptions. It seems like when something is really neededto treat a condition you have, you should not be prevented from taking thatmedication due to inability to afford it. At the same time, quite often it is the lure of those very same highprofits that encourage pharmaceutical companies to produce many of the amazing,and quite often, life-saving drugs that we all depend on. Eliminating the reward would, in my opinion,lead us to where fewer and fewer new drugs would be developed.

There is one drug, however, that has been around for years…indeed thousands of years. It is called colchicine. It is a powerful anti-inflammatory medication that is most often used in the treatment of gout. Gout is a condition related to anincrease in uric acid in the body. This can lead to severe pain and inflammation in the joints. Quite often, the joints of the foot are involved. A patient with gout will typically come to my office stating that the pain, redness, and swelling in their foot came on quite suddenly and is excruciating. Colchicine treats acute gout very effectively, relieving symptoms quite often in a matter of hours. So, you can imagine the surprise of patients(and doctors) when it was discovered that generic colchicine was no longer available! Instead, the drug wasavailable only in the form of a non-generic called Colcrys. Same drug. Same benefits. Not the same price. How much has the price gone up? According to as CBS Evening Newsreport, a 23 day supply has gone from $6.72 up to $185.53! Why is this happening? Watch this news report from CBS Evening newsthat aired last night:

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/10/10/eveningnews/main20118283.shtml#comments

To make a long story short, there are many drugs which pre-date the FDA – one of which is colchicine. The FDA was concerned because there was a lack of modern research on the medication. Now, no drug company will ever do research on inexpensive generic drugs. To get around this, the FDA has taken the generic version of the medication off the market to allow URL Pharma, the company that makes Colcrys, to help recoup money it had spent to study the drug. Now, my patients spend A LOT more on their prescription for colchicine. Is this right? It may not be as clear cut as it would seem. As a result of the studies done by URLPharma, it was determined that a lower dosing of colchicine would be just aseffective as the traditional dosing, making it safer to use. So, you tell me: If it were you paying out of your pocket for this medication, would that information be worth the extra $$$ knowing know that the medication was safer for you to take? As is the case with many medical questions, the answers can be hard to come by.

What Toning Shoes Can't Do For You

In the last few years, many manufacturers of shoes have developed and marketed “toning shoes”. The claims that the manufacturers make are very appealing – that by walking in these special shoes, the muscles in your feet and legs will be forced to work harder, and thereby allow you to achieve better outcomes with less effort on your part. In one advertisement, fit woman was used to describe how the shoes worked – and that by walking in the shoes you would strengthen your hamstring and calf muscles up to 11% more than with normal shoes, and that the buttocks would be toned an up to 28% more! Magic! Well, not so fast…

This past week, one manufacturer, Reebock, was forced to pay $25 million in a settlement for deceptive advertising. It turns out that their claims had no substance, and there was no real proof that the benefits they were touting would be seen by the public who were using the shoes. The link here goes into more detail regarding this settlement: http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2011/09/reebok.shtm
From my perspective, I have a few thoughts to share. First, I am always amazed at how easily people will fall for such claims. As the saying goes, if it seems too good to be true, it likely is. If you want to tone your calves, hamstrings and buttocks 11 – 28% more, there is a real simple, tried and true method to do so. Work 11 – 28% harder!

I have patients come into my office with these shoes from time to time. Some love them, some do not. Most will put more pressure on your forefoot and midfoot, which in the case that I tried, was painful. I could not tolerate the pair I was given by one manufacturer to try. However, if you like them, I feel that there is no problem with the shoes. Just don’t buy them with the expectation that in a matter of weeks you’ll look like the woman selling them on tv