A few months ago, my DH went to the doctor with a complaint for which I had
suggested a really cheap OTC drug that he hadn't yet tried.  The doctor gave
him a fistful of samples of a prescription alternative to the OTC drug, and
a prescription for more.  DH used the samples, got relief, then asked the
pharmacist about the cost of the prescription med, and learned it was high.
He asked the pharmacist if it made sense to start with the OTC.
"Absolutely!"  said the pharmacist.  "No sense using this more potent drug
if you don't need it!"  DH decided to start with the OTC med, and found it
gave him *almost* as much relief as the free samples had.  He's never filled
the prescription.

What's interesting is that the doctor *never asked* if my DH had tried any
OTC med, whether it had helped, anything at all.  Just handed over the
freebies (free for the doc, that is), and wrote out a prescription that
would have cost us a pretty penny.

Not the best way to practice medicine, I'd say.  But I was very interested
to see a big ad for the drug in a magazine the next day, and to see a woman
walking downtown carrying a cloth bag with the name emblazoned on it.  Part
of why the price is so high, no doubt...

Diane Wiessinger, MS, IBCLC  Ithaca, NY
www.wiessinger.baka.com

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