Pluggers by Rick McKee for February 09, 2022

Eh, me bearly takes no medications.

as a great-grandson and a grandnephew of pharmacists in Graham County, Arizona (once upon a time), I wouldn’t know the answer to that

Because the insurance companys want to keep your money as long as possible to gain interest on it .

A 90 day supply is an improvement. I sometimes get a 7 day supply.

Well, what’s your expected life span?

Keeps the meds fresh.

What’s even more disturbing is when the label says “No Refills”

Done properly an MD should be reviewing Meds every 3 to 6 months so one med does not interfere with another .

It’s a kind of a clue.

To keep that cash flow goin.

Some brand name meds won’t refill for more than 30 days and every third round the drug has to be re-prescribed. Insurance wants everybody on generic meds. Gov’t likely gets a cut as well as ins co’s. Brand names are very consistent in their dosage, of course, as well as the buffers and carriers. All regulated, same effect, every time. Generics can shop around for their stuffings thus slight changes in the med effect, slight irregulars in the drug effect..Doesn’t usually matter but when it does. it DOES.

I take cancer meds for the rest of my life. The doc used to give a 30 day Rx with 4 refills. I’ve got to admit when he changed it to only 2 refills I was thinking uh-oh….

By ordering another 90-day supply as soon as I could, I got a year and a half ahead on one med. Naturally, that’s the one I stopped taking and my clinic doesn’t have a drop-box for unused pills.

And make you come in yearly for a medication review before authorizing a continued 90 day prescription supply with 3 refills.

Might have something to do with “the rest of your life” expectation.

One day in July, when my mother, a fit & active 70 something, mentioned to the salesgirl that her purchase was for a Christmas present, the girl asked, “Are you sure you’ll still be alive at Christmas?”

A lifetime supply might fill up a 5 gallon bucket ;)

because HE might not be around in 90 days

Pace yourself. Also, an excuse to get out and meet all those nice sick people in line at the pharmacy. And put a little chocolate on the same bill.

Because the potency degrades over time.

If you have a year’s supply the pills you take 365 days from now will not be as effective as the pills you take today.

Also allows your doctor to check on the efficacy of the treatment and periodically adjust it.

Dispensing fees from the pharmacy and the doctor needs to make payments on that 2nd beachfront home. Be lucky you get 90 days between making contributions.

Meds expire too.

My wife got prescribed a once-a-week mega dose of Vitamin D. Take one every Sunday for 6 weeks. They gave her 4. She had to get a refill for the other 2.

Because the insurance company does not want you to have too many pills in case you die.

I can’t understand, either, why they have to order some every time- – They know I am not dead yet.

Because they can change their mind right after you fill it!

I can say it is usually so the Doctor can collect the office visit charge. I went through this with my friend and MIL. My MIL was a type 1 diabetic for 60 years and could only get a 3 month supply (2 refills) without a Doctor visit. She needed to insulin to stay alive but did anyone care, NO. The other drugs were important but not needed to totally stay alive, just regulate blood pressure (important) and other health issues.

Money…..

Answer: So they can raise the prices every 90 days. Since Obamacare medical costs (and wasteful duplicate test, etc.) have SKYROCKETED.

That’s so the Doctor can change hiis prescription to a newer much more expensive version of the same pill!

Well, it could be because 90 days is….

Yeah, and somehow those “lifetime guarantees” just don’t seem so impressive anymore.

At least in my case, 90 is the maximum my insurance will pay for. And I prefer fresh meds, anyway. Most of my doctors (I have a lot of docs keeping me patched up) will give me a refill without seeing them every 90 days. And the government has a say in it, too. I had a dermatologist who prescribed a skin cream for me. Even though nothing had changed, I had to go to him to get a refill because the government requires that a patient be seen once a year. And why shouldn’t he be paid for his time?

Because medications do go stale.