Rush Limbaugh, Victim, Perp or none of the above? (Part 1)Written by Bill Kammarada
Or is There Room for Blame with FDA, DEA and Pharmaceutical Companies?Buying Drugs Online: It's Convenient and Private, but Be Aware of Facts! Political commentator Rush Limbaugh could become target of a criminal probe into sale and use of illegal drugs. Rush became addicted to legitimate prescribed prescription painkillers after a failed back operation several years ago. Asked about culpability of Limbaugh, source said that he could still face charges for having a large quantity of prescription painkillers without a prescription, but source added that no charges are imminent. (Fox News) OxyContin is a pain reliever that contains a very strong narcotic similar to morphine and is only intended for moderate to severe daily pain, according to Food and Drug Administration. But doctors are not free to medicate their patients as they see fit. Doctors are monitored rigorously in prescribing these legitimate painkillers for their patients who need them and stand sanct10n and possible loss of license if DEA feels they are over-prescribing certain controlled painkillers. So, in fear of DEA, physician is hesitant to prescribe sufficient medication for his suffering patients. There are hundreds of thousands of Americans with excruciating pain: accident victims, spinal problem sufferers, cancer victims, AIDS patients and more who can’t get relief from their debilitating condition, which ruins their lives and those around them. They are left to suffer with no promise of relief, short of their demise, or obtaining their prescription painkillers illegally elsewhere. They are truly victim of "War on Drugs", a war that cannot be won. Rush would have been better off buying them on Internet instead of black market. The consequences would have been much less severe. It’s no wonder so many Americans are swarming to new Internet revolution, online pharmacy, where no one, not even government, has access to their prescription records. I would think Feds have access to databases of CVS, Rite-aid, Walgreen’s, Duane Reade, Eckerd, Familymeds, Navarro, Kroger, and all supermarket chains and have added them to Big Brother’s "Patriot Bill Database. And if you use a supermarket Savings Card, they even know what you eat. Hum. Then there is case for medical marijuana, but that’s for another day. Today it’s virtually impossible to not be aware of Online Internet Pharmacies and immediate availability of prescription medication and substantial savings that they offer. But no real analytical and logical argument has been made giving all pros and cons of using Online Pharmacies versus regular pharmacies, which we are all familiar with. Everyone has their own turf to protect, from FDA, doctors, pharmacists, brick & mortar pharmacies, drug manufacturers, and overstepping Federal and state governments and agencies. Disclaimer: I work for www.RxAsia.com, which is an Online Pharmacy. (My comments within quoted text will appear in italics like this. I trust you can see thru my sarcasm) I will attempt to present an unbiased opinion of where Online Pharmacies stand today, in October 2003. It appears all pertinent data on line about Online Pharmacies dates back to year 2000. I will attempt to present pro & con arguments from both government and Online Industry sides, and let you; ultimate judge, juror and consumer decide where you stand on issue. In some cases, I will debunk their illogical arguments and comments concerning Online Pharmacies. An FDA article written in 2000 by John Henkel states "More and more consumers are using Internet for health reasons. According to market research firm Cyber Dialogue Inc., health concerns are sixth most common reason people go online. Internet drugstores, however, won't make "brick and mortar" pharmacies obsolete anytime soon. Over 3 billion prescriptions were dispensed in 2000, and though no reliable figures gauging total online sales are yet available, industry sources say that number is likely still fairly small. For some people, buying prescription drugs online offers advantages compared to purchasing drugs from a local drugstore, including: The privacy and convenience of ordering medications from their homes Greater availability of drugs for shut-in people or those who live far from pharmacy The ease of comparative shopping among many sites to find best prices Greater convenience and variety of products Easier access to written product information and references to other sources than in traditional storefront pharmacies..." I’d like to add to this analysis following: Substantial dollar savings over US and Canadian pharmacies. (Yes, buying offshore is cheaper than even Canadian pharmacies) In most, if not all cases, drugs are manufactured by same Pharmaceutical companies that make drugs for US and Canada, with exception that they are only paying prevailing local wage, taxes and other lower manufacturing costs, thus their costs are lower. You can bet major manufacturing companies keep up to US standards even in their offshore facilities to avoid negative and potentially explosive bad publicity. Generic drugs might be available overseas at substantial savings over brand name, where they might not be available in US and Canada. Partially eliminating (every three-month) doctor visit and subsequent savings in time and cost just to renew your prescription. (Yes, you doctor is a legal drug pusher, charging you to renew your prescription. Sorry, that is my opinion)
| | Ten Healthy Reasons to Procrastinate This Holiday SeasonWritten by Dale Reynolds
Many people procrastinate on their holiday shopping, which begs question: are there good reasons to put it off? For a humorous break this season, let’s examine why we might actually want to wait until last minute to shop!You’ll have to park farther from door because mall will be so crowded, and you’ll get more exercise. Just park way out there-you’ll save frustration and get less door dings! The escalators and elevators will be so crowded that you’ll have to take stairs to save time (maybe you’ll be inspired to jog them?) and that burns more calories. The more packages you’re carrying, more calories you’ll burn! The food court and restaurants will be busy and you won’t want to bother waiting. You’ll pack healthy food or just eat at home. Carrying your lunch and a water bottle around mall is work-say goodbye to more calories! You might think about catalog shopping, but they’ll be sold out of everything you want and won’t be able to get it to you in time if they do have it in stock. So you’ll be at mall, with all of above. You might get lower prices or two-for-one specials. This will make you jump for joy and dance in halls, which constitutes aerobic exercise! Just be careful you don’t land on anybody when you come down. The gift wrappers will be all tied up, so you’ll need to wrap your own presents at home. Crawling around on floor or leaning over table for several hours will work muscles you forgot you had! Besides, with those two-for-one specials, you’ll have more gifts to wrap. Then, you need to run all over house looking for places to hide loot! Reach high and squat low!
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