Concerns About Medical Practices When Prescribing ... - Page 6

adamlambert · ‎10-19-2016

I make my own decisions, do research extensively. I'm not taking a Drug just because a provider wants me to. I've refused cholesterol medication many times. My ratio is great.

i'm new to menopause and just went to the Dr. I told her I don't want hormones and I use an aloe product there that is so pure you can eat it. She prescribes me Estrace, a hormone. She said the information insert in the box is incorrect about the bad side effects. Nope!! She didn't listen at all! I took it, said thanks and left.

My family members are providers. Yes, they get free food every day from drug companies and fancy dinners out, but they adhere to their principles and prescribe what they feel is best. It doesn't impact their care. There are soooo many lawsuits so they do indeed document when a patient goes against their advice.

Tinkrbl44 · ‎08-23-2010

@jubilant wrote:
I am surprised that more people didn't gasp at the cost of $8000 a year to take "my only option" medication???? Without my insurance it would be $14,000 a year! I had one cardiologist tell me that there would be a lot of people not taking Repatha for that reason alone. I can't help but wonder how many here would pay that kind of money for a medication that definitely lowers cholesterol and shows promise but is not a home run yet. Just curious how others feel????

Next week I will be going to a new primary care facility that has just opened (It's an IU medical facility). It's only about a 15 min. drive, too! It is a team based approach to primary care. It will be a physician, a PA, and 17 other staff members dedicated to a team approach for their patients. It sounds like my cup of tea. It's a 10'000 square ft. facility with 17 rooms. I am hoping and praying that this will be a good match for me. They are definitely medical but they also take a holistic approach to preventive and well-being to get a person as well as they can be. My cardiologist told me that while exercise and eating right can go a long way, without the medicine, they will never be able to get me to a 70 cholesterol....which is where they want me. How do we know if we don't try? Even if I can get it to 170, that would sure be a lot better than where I am now. To me that kind of talk and that low of a number is pushing people to take pills and let the pill do it all....yet another gripe of mine this week!

@jubilant

If you haven't already done so, google "repatha financial assistance" and start reading.

There are now a surprising number of financial assistance options for the more expensive drugs. A neighbor of mine takes Enbrel .... and the once a week injection is over $3k a month, or $36k a year. She fills out an application every January to their Amgen Safety Net Foundation, has her MD sign it, and gets this medication FREE of charge.

(Enbrel isn't the only medication they assist with.)

Some foundations have criteria that considers assets, but some only care about current income. It's my understanding that some also offer reduced costs, but they're all different. IMO, it's worth checking out.

Lipstickdiva · ‎03-10-2010

Over 15+ years ago I had very high cholestrol. When my doctor called me with all my bloodwork results and told me about my cholestrol, he told me that he would like to see me naturally see if I could get my numbers down through diet and exercise. He said he was giving me 6 months to do that. Long story short, I was able to do it naturally, no pills required.

I just recently had bloodwork done again. I am now with a different doctor. I rec'd a call the other day and was told my cholestrol was about 10 points higher than she would like it. Again, this doctor's advice was to watch what I'm eating and exercise. To piggyback on to what someone posted above, last year my cholestrol total was high but my good cholestrol was high so she was fine with my high overall number. This year my bad cholestrol is what is 10 points higher.

I do think there are some doctor's who are too quick to put patient's on unnecessary pills rather than having them try and make a lifestyle change.

There are also doctors who are very quick to hand out antibiotics for things that are viral or "just in case."

OTOH there are a lot of patient's who would rather take a pill and go on their merry way rather than try and do anything to help themself.

Lipstickdiva · ‎03-10-2010

@151949 wrote:
I will say they keep lowering these ideal numbers every year. Even my doctor rolls his eyes. The ideal FBS now is down to 70. Many people would have definite low blood sugar symptoms with a FBS of 70.They keep lowering the cholesterol numbers as well, though I can't recall it right now , and they also keep lowering the ideal BP too.
I know I'm being cynical - but I can't help but think this has more to do with selling drugs and making a profit than it does the welfare of the patient.As a friend recently said - don't you know our government can't wait for us Medicare patients to kick off. They would love to not have to pay to care for us.

@151949Can you tell me where you got this information.

I just had bloodwork done including FBS. Mine was 85 and the doctor said that was normal.

151949 · ‎03-09-2010

google

jubilant · ‎06-10-2010

@Tinkrbl44

My doctors office told me that they would work with Repatha and my insurance co. and it would be best for my cause to let them deal with them. They had my records which showed I had tried over the years four or five different statins. They won't give you this medicine unless statins didn't bring your numbers down enough or you could not take them.This medicine works entirely different than a statin. It works through the immune system (not the liver or kidneys). The fact I was 99% blocked in 2 arteries and over 80% in 2 more, have high LDL, low good cholesterol and high tryglicerides, makes me a prime candidate for this medication. Repatha called me and said they could give it to me for $8000 a year. My cardiologist said that was a pretty good deal (down from $14,000 a year) judging from help other people Repatha had helped.

After a couple of months a representative of Repatha called me at home wanting to get me started and meet with me at my Cardio office. I asked the representative if they could get the cost down even more. She said "possibly". I wanted to be up front with her so I told her that while the money was a concern, I had other reservations besides the money.

Thank you, Tinkrbl44 for this website. I appreciate all the information I can get and I don't think I've been there. I'm going there now!

Financialgrl · ‎03-13-2010

@Nightowlz wrote:
It's a bunch of BS IMO.
They change what the normal should be so they can put more people on Big Pharma Drugs.
I have already told my doctor I'm going by what the levels on blood pressure, cholesterol etc used to be not by the changes they keep making.
I'm the patient I have a right to decide if I want to take what you are prescribing. Just because the doctor says I need it does mean I have to take it.
All I can say is good luck telling your doctor you won't take it. I have had doctors tell me to find a new doctor because I won't do as they say.
It's my body.
IMO the more Big Pharma drugs you take the more you will have to take & the more problems you have had. I have seen it.
I'm hypothyroid so I take NP Thyroid. If I did not have that I would never go to the doctor.
By the way all these doctors prescribe the new drugs which cost a lot more money. All you have to do if you need the drug is tell your doctor you will take a drug that has been out on the market for years with a history plus a lower price tag. Don't let them tell you there is not such drug. Most likely there is.

@Nightowlz- I take meds for blood pressure and when the new guidelines came out the first thing I said to my sister in law whose an RN - "well guess big pharma isn't making enough profit". She said that's funny cuz at work they had that very same discussion after the new guidelines came out.

I expressed those exact words to my doctor. She said she's fine where my BP is (now considered high) bc at 63 she doesn't want to push for my BP to be that low bc the risk of getting dizzy and falling and breaking bones is just as bad or worse than the difference between old vs now acceptable BPs.

151949 · ‎03-09-2010

As for the ever changing ideal numbers game -- my doctor says he has his own standards and they vary because he takes each patient into consideration individually. I say good for him! He isn't particularly into giving very many drugs, and he always tries to use the tier 1 drugs as much as he can to save us money.

Lipstickdiva · ‎03-10-2010

@151949 wrote:
google

What I have found indicates normal is between 70 and 100 FBS for those who aren't diabetic.

Someone close to me was hospitalized yesterday with undiagnosed and out of control diabetes and the staff said his reading should be between 80-100.

Financialgrl · ‎03-13-2010

@adamlambert wrote:
I make my own decisions, do research extensively. I'm not taking a Drug just because a provider wants me to. I've refused cholesterol medication many times. My ratio is great.

i'm new to menopause and just went to the Dr. I told her I don't want hormones and I use an aloe product there that is so pure you can eat it. She prescribes me Estrace, a hormone. She said the information insert in the box is incorrect about the bad side effects. Nope!! She didn't listen at all! I took it, said thanks and left.

My family members are providers. Yes, they get free food every day from drug companies and fancy dinners out, but they adhere to their principles and prescribe what they feel is best. It doesn't impact their care. There are soooo many lawsuits so they do indeed document when a patient goes against their advice.

@adamlambert A few years ago 60 minutes did a segment of two doctors who said that they look at the data on all these fancy new expensive drugs to see how much more effective the new drug is and if the cost is one that is prohibitive and isn't enough % change for the better they won't prescribe it. They said they explain it to their patients but bc many patients' financials would be affected by moving to newer drugs they allow their patients to stick with the older generation tried and true but cheaper options out there.