Senseless Rules

Doctors at East Louisville Pediatrics PSC in Kentucky say they’re writing as many as 50 prescriptions a day for drugs such as Bayer AG’s aspirin and Pfizer Inc.’s Advil that don’t need a physician’s nod to be purchased off pharmacy shelves.

The trend, triggered by the 2010 health-care law, affects more than 20 million Americans with flexible spending or health savings accounts that let them use pretax dollars for medical needs. A U.S. rule that took effect Jan. 1 taxes purchases of over-the-counter drugs except for insulin unless the patient has a prescription…

Hat tip to Consumer Power Report.

Comments (4)

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  1. Devon Herrick says:

    Making OTC medications ineligible for tax-free acounts was definitely counterpropductive.

  2. Brian Williams. says:

    It is interesting to see how reasonable people make things work, in spite of stupid bureaucratic rules.

  3. Larry C. says:

    You are right. These are senseless rules.

  4. Virginia says:

    Good thing we’re saving money for the system by not allowing a tax deduction on OTC medicines!

    Now if only the GAO can do a study on how much it costs for all these folks to keep going to their doctors OTC drug prescriptions.