Prescription Drugs

The U.S. Senate is once again considering drug importation. The amendment proposed by Sen. Byron Dorgan, Democrat of North Dakota, won't save money and will hurt patients. His remarks describe prescription drugs as commodities that should be easily and cheaply available without regard to their appropriate use. He could not be more wrong. America has a number of serious drug problems, including a rise in prescription drug abuse. The drug-related deaths of Michael Jackson, Anna Nicole Smith and Adam Goldstein (known as DJ AM)

Shop around 1 According to Tod Marks, a senior editor at Consumer Reports who focuses on prescription drugs, many consumers don't realize that drug costs can vary widely from one pharmacy to another. He recommends shopping around, and he says you can save hundreds of dollars if you are willing to do some price comparisons. "Pharmacies expect it," he says of the price questions. "These days there's complete price transparency. If you want to shop around, there's no doubt you can get the information you need."

Rental property law protects communities Councilman T. Bryan McIntire's opposition to the new Baltimore County rental law is well-intentioned but unfounded ("Most Balto. Co. rental properties conform to new law," Feb. 8). Towson University fails to provide housing for about 30 percent of its students. And the surrounding communities suffer as a result of its campus housing shortage. Don Gerding, the chairman of the Rodgers Forge External Affairs Committee, and I have frequently reported problems with rental housing in the area to housing code enforcement authorities and county police.

As the nation's president-elect and incoming Congress mull a variety of fixes for the nation's ailing health care system, there's at least one relatively simple step that could be taken to make prescription drugs more affordable for hundreds of thousands of Marylanders. It requires only that the federal government give states the power to enable lower and middle-income families to buy prescription drugs at the same prices paid by the Medicaid program. It wouldn't cost taxpayers a dime but would make prescription drugs 40 percent to 45 percent more affordable for participants.

Wrong time to limit generic medications I was very alarmed by the news that generic medicines may be blocked and replaced by higher-cost, brand-name medicines ("Cost of medicine could increase," June 17). I am a heart patient, and I take eight medications and supplements. All are generic, except one. My health care provider insists on generic drugs if they are available. And I believe this is the right thing to do; it saves me lots of money - money the big pharmaceutical companies do not get. So no wonder the drug firms are mad. But do not feel sorry for the big drug companies.

Electric shock is used to start hearts that have stopped beating. In a pinch, would it be possible to start a heart using a stun gun? Doctors use defibrillators to shock a heart out of a life-threatening rhythm. A stun gun is NO substitute for a defibrillator! We consulted two cardiologists who both said this would not work and is a very bad idea. If you are concerned about needing a defibrillator "in a pinch," you can purchase an AED (automated external defibrillator). These home models detect life-threatening heart rhythms and use an electrical shock to restart the heart.

In a public-private partnership to help thousands of seniors struggling to pay for prescription drugs, Gov. Martin O'Malley plans to announce today a deal with CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield to help cover those caught in a Medicare gap. The agreement would help seniors bridge the "doughnut hole," a much criticized cost-saving measure built into the Medicare prescription drug benefit passed by Congress in 2003. The program covers annual prescription costs up to a certain amount and costs above a higher threshold, but not those in between, leaving a hole in the middle of the coverage plan.

The news yesterday that actor Heath Ledger died from a lethal combination of six different medications has raised new concerns about the hazards of overdoses among Americans with increasingly well-stocked medicine cabinets. The New York City medical examiner ruled yesterday that Ledger's death last month was accidental, the result of "acute intoxication" from two prescription painkillers (oxycodone and hydrocodone); two prescribed anti-anxiety drugs (diazepam and alprazolam); and two sleep aids - one of them available over the counter.

OK, so you're hungry and rooting around in the fridge, or maybe the pantry, and find something. You think you've stumbled upon it - What's this? Chocolate? Yes! - when it dawns on you: You can't remember buying the bar. Or when you first opened it. What now? Should you eat it or toss it? What if it's milk? Or medication? How long will that stuff keep, and what's at stake after you pass that point? For many things, your budget and personal preference can dictate how often you replace them, but for others, it's a safety issue.