Medical News

June 26, 2004 — For about three months, Charles Wingfield has been ordering his prescription drugs through Discount Medicine of Canada, a store located off Grant Line Road in New Albany, Ind.

The Louisville retiree said he figures that buying Canadian drugs for his breathing and blood pressure has saved him about $100 over that period.

“I am delighted with it,” said Wingfield, 76. “That fits very well in my wallet.”

Dot Atkins, 67, a New Albany housewife, sent off a prescription for arthritis medication through Discount Medicine on Friday, and said that by doing so she saved about $100.

“I checked around for prices,” she said, adding that she had wondered about the safety of medications from Canada but has been pleased with the way her prescriptions have been filled.

“So far, so good,” she said.

Atkins and Wingfield are among a growing number of people across Kentuckiana and the nation who are turning to Canada for less expensive medications.

IN ADDITION TO those who travel north in search of savings or use stores like Discount Medicine, governors in several states and some mayors say they’re thinking about buying in Canada to save money for their employees and citizens.

Discount Medicine, which opened in May 2003, serves about 550 people from Indiana and Kentucky who come to get their prescriptions filled by CanAmerica, a pharmacy company in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

Another Southern Indiana store, Discount Drugs from Canada, located in Clarksville, has a similar arrangement with a Canadian supplier and a similar number of customers, according to Jon Hallis, its manager.

In Louisville, U.S. Canadian Connection, another business that was selling drugs from Canada, closed in March. Co-owner Larry Brodt said it wasn’t attracting enough business but would continue to serve customers by phone and mail.

U.S. LAW prohibits the “re-importation” of medicine from Canada, but the office of Indiana Attorney General Steve Carter has said it is awaiting guidance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on how to react to Discount Medicine, Discount Drugs and similar businesses.While the FDA has acted to close some stores that order Canadian drugs, it has not pressed forward with efforts to shut them all down. Congress is considering legislation that would legalize re-importation.

U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson has said, “I think Congress is going to pass it.”

William Hubbard, a spokesman for the FDA, which is responsible for enforcing the law against drug re-importation, said he doesn’t know how many U.S. stores make arrangements for customers to buy Canadian drugs.

LISA HAYES, a spokeswoman for the Indiana Health Professions Bureau, said her agency knew of five stores in the state, including the Clarksville and New Albany operations, but she cautioned that there might be others unknown to the bureau. She said federal officials closed another store, RX Depot, in Indianapolis several months ago.

Government officials as well as individuals have shown interest in saving money by buying in Canada.

Boston Mayor Thomas Menino said he plans to start bringing in drugs from Canada for city employees in July.

Craig Benson, governor of New Hampshire, has posted a link to a Canadian online pharmacy on the state Web site. Alicia Preston, a spokeswoman for Benson, said that in April 3,500 people bought drugs through that link.

Wisconsin has a similar Web site.

Steve Yount, the owner of Discount Medicine in New Albany, said his store is under contract with CanAmerica, which fills the orders and sends them in sealed containers to U.S. and other customers. Some of the savings can be substantial, Yount said, although he added that not all medications from Canada are cheaper than in the United States.

A Bluegrass Poll conducted May 5-11 by The Courier-Journal showed that 63 percent of people surveyed favored making it easier to buy cheaper drugs from other countries, but only about 4 percent said they or someone in their household had purchased prescription medicines across U.S. borders.

Yount contended that pharmaceutical companies have exerted their influence to raise questions about the safety of buying drugs overseas, making some people reluctant to do so.

Yount also claimed the medications he arranges for customers to get from Canada are safe, although representatives of pharmacists say there’s no way to be absolutely sure about purchases from other countries.

His customers, Yount said, fill out a medical history form, and their prescriptions are faxed to the Canadian pharmacy, where the information is reviewed by a physician before the order is filled.

Viv Pands from www.listrxmedical.com says that by offering medicines from Canada have really boosted their business in recent times.

Businesses like Yount’s, along with online ordering services offered by such groups as United Senior Action of Indiana, an advocacy group based in Indianapolis, apparently have diminished some people’s interest in traveling to Canada to buy medications.

Michelle Robertson, office manager for United Senior Action, said it has not conducted a bus trip over the border since June 2002. With the online ordering service, she said, “we don’t have to take the time to go up there.”

By DICK KAUKAS
dkaukas@courier-journal.com
The Courier-Journal

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Licensed by the A.M.A., ?we must charge a small fee for access to help us and the A.M.A. keep the database current, unlike some of the pirates out there?, says Gary Andersen, Editor. ? The database is still much more cost effective than hard copy reference guides giving small physician offices, billing companies and hospitals alike an alternative way to expedite their billing?, says Andersen.

The majority of the tools and information at med411.com remains free of charge. Their web site may be found at; http://www.med411.com/.

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Filed under: Prevention, All Cancers, Books

WOW, what a book — a perfect guide for those just embarking on a medical journey and a valuable resource for people like me — already surviving a major illness — who wish to better manage their health care for all of time.

Author Laura Nathanson, MD, wrote What You Don’t Know Can Kill You: A Physician’s Radical Guide to Conquering the Obstacles to Excellent Medical Care in honor of the husband she lost after a series of misdiagnoses and for everyone wishing to prevent such tragedy in their own lives.

Nathanson offers readers techniques for identifying signs of misdiagnosis and misleading analysis of symptoms. She shares tips for preventing medical miscommunication, keeping safe in the hospital, and choosing health care plans without falling into the uncovered services trap.

The allure of this book is the easy, non-medical approach Nathanson uses as she urges everyone facing the medical world to take charge of an often inpenetrable system. For the patient who is no stranger to this world, Nathanson’s words will ring abundantly true.

“When I look back on that long period of delayed diagnosis and how we were then and later bounced around from one medical specialist to another, the image that pops into my head is that of a slightly mad, grotesque volleyball game — with the patient as the ball,” she writes.

For the patient new to medical confusion, Nathanson’s words will impart volumes of truth.

“Here’s what I’ve learned, and what you must learn if you wish yourself and your loved ones to survive a bout with serious illness,” she reports. “No matter who you are, physician or not, lucky or not; no matter how rich, famous, successful, good-looking, innocent, kindly or powerful; no matter how close and trusting the relationship you have with those providing your medical care — you cannot rely on today’s medical system to keep you healthy, safe and alive.”

Amen.

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Original post by Jacki Donaldson

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Filed under: All Cancers, Environment, Cancer Survivors

When I sit still in the middle of the day, I fall asleep. I’m not sure if it’s a side effect of cancer or of life in general, but as a result, I keep myself moving at all times.

I’m always doing something — writing, emptying the dishwasher, packing a school lunch, reorganizing cabinets and closets and drawers. There’s always something to fiddle with, something to keep my body from crashing into a deep sleep.

My little boys have been playing with Lego all afternoon. For hours they have been content and happy and full of imagination. They’ve built flying boats and castles and pirate contraptions. My wish: to just sit and watch them, to absorb their words, their sound effects, their interactions.

I tried to just sit and watch, tried to hone my quiet observation skills. And then I fell sleep.

It’s a dozing-off kind of sleep that creeps up on me and for brief moments, I am lost to the world, sometimes even dreaming for short periods of time. So I find I am more alert and productive in the study of my children when my mind is busy with some sort of task. It’s not my ideal scenario. But I figure it’s better to be awake and bonding with my boys — even if it means I’m multitasking — than sleeping through their special moments.

My boys are still building — they are making flags for their ships — and I’m awake. And writing and preparing dinner too.

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Original post by Jacki Donaldson

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Filed under: Daily news, Celebrity news, Sports

Award-winning jazz musician and former basketball star Wayman Tisdale revealed this week on his website that he has been diagnosed with cancer, that he will begin a six-month course of chemotherapy this week, and that his prognosis for recovery is excellent.

The 6-foot-9 former Oklahoma Sooners basketball great — who played 12 seasons in the NBA with the Indiana Pacers, Sacramento Kings, and Phoenix Suns and helped score gold on the 1984 U.S. Olympic team — reports that he broke his leg in a fall at his Los Angeles home last month.

After his fall, Tisdale’s doctors determined a cyst in his right knee caused the injury. The cyst, identified as cancer, was then removed. Following chemotherapy, Tisdale, 42, will undergo knee-replacement surgery.

Tisdale has been told to hold off on his touring and public appearance schedules so can fully recover. But he plans to begin performing again in January 2008. In the meantime, he will focus on his new album with the working title Rebound.

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Original post by Jacki Donaldson

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Filed under: All Cancers, Services, Thought for the Day

The best cancer treatment centers are not always right around the corner. Sometimes, it’s necessary to travel far and wide to reach facilities offering the latest and greatest in cancer therapy. And when a back-and-forth commute is not possible due to daily or long-term treatment protocols, lodging becomes a necessity. And often, a hassle.

If you find yourself confronted with a stressful travel scenario, key into Joe’s House. It’s sure to ease your burden.

Think about this:

Joe’s House is a non-profit organization that serves hospital staff and cancer patients in search of lodging. Founded in 2003 by Ann Calahan who for six years struggled to find appropriate accommodations during her late husband’s cancer battle, Joe’s House makes life a little easier for those fighting cancer on the road.

I just gave this system a whirl. I chose Florida as my state, Gainesville as my city, and the hospital where I receive my treatment. Up popped four lodging locations — two are free for cancer patients, one runs $10 per night, and the other charges $77 per night. Fortunately, I live right around the corner from my treatment center. But for those who don’t, this service — it’s free — is definitely worth trying.

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Original post by Jacki Donaldson

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Columbia, MD, and Jacksonville, FL, November 24, 2003 ? COLA, a national healthcare accreditation organization, along with American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE) have formed a cooperative alliance to provide COLA products and services to AACE members at discounted rates. AACE members will enjoy discounts on the COLA Laboratory Accreditation program (www.cola.org), Lab University e-Learning courses (www.labuniversity.org), enduring educational products (hard copy and downloadable), and a discount if an AACE member enrolls in the COLA Physician Office Laboratory Symposium (normally 20 CMEs) which is held annually. Additionally all AACE members may enroll in COLA?s Quality Assurance Part 1, e-learning course free of charge.

All e-Learning courses include CME and CEU credit. COLA and AACE have collaborated in the past to provide the Laboratory Director Program to Endocrine Fellows at the Mayo Clinic. At the conclusion of the program the fellows had met the CLIA requirement to serve as a Laboratory Director for a moderate complexity laboratory.

?COLA is pleased to provide its products and services to AACE at discounted rates. The American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists is committed to providing added benefits to their Association members. We have worked well together in the past and this is alliance will provide efficient means to meet necessary accreditation requirements and to provide a multiple venues for busy physicians to enhance their professional knowledge. Combining our expertise in lab accreditation and continuing education with the resources of such a reputable organization as the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists is an ideal counterpart to our services,? said Douglas A. Beigel, Chief Executive Officer of COLA.

Donald C. Jones, CEO of AACE said, ?COLA has provided the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists with a package of discounted products and services that we feel can be valuable to many AACE members in their practice. Any AACE member can now receive a discount to accredit their laboratory and also take advantage of the discounts on COLA educational products. This alliance further enhances the list of member benefits offered by the Association.?

COLA is a nonprofit, physician-directed organization promoting quality and excellence in medicine and patient care through programs of voluntary education, achievement, and accreditation. COLA has completed over 33,000 laboratory surveys. For more information about COLA accreditation services and educational products, please call 800-981-9883 or visit COLA?s Web Site at www.cola.org. For more information on COLA?s on-line healthcare educational opportunities visit www.labuniveristy.org.

The mission of the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE) is to provide and promote education, research and communication in the art and science of clinical endocrinology and to provide appropriate recognition of advances and achievements relating to clinical endocrinology. AACE is an international professional medical association with over 4,400 members throughout the United States and over 70 foreign countries. Endocrinologists have specialized training and expertise in the treatment of endocrine diseases including diabetes, thyroid, pituitary and calcium disorders including osteoporosis as well as cholesterol and nutritional.

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