Unfilled Prescriptions Cost Pharmacies Millions per Year, and Other Links
110 million prescriptions per year are filled, but never picked up. Since it costs a pharmacy an estimated $5 to $10 to prepare, then return to the shelves, an unclaimed medication, the total cost is more than $500 million a year.
The Web surfing history saved in your Web browser can be accessed without your permission. It’s called “history sniffing.”
Paralyzed patients can stand, walk and even climb stairs. The mechanism: robotic “pants” that use sensors and motors. (video)
robot pants: I can already hear the crude pickup lines people will invent with this new technology…
websites: There’s been a lot of discussion about this. Here is a link to another site that found out about user history coding.
http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2010/12/another_reason_to_avoid_visiti.php
I’m not sure what to think about prescriptions not picked up. Doesn’t that imply that the patient didn’t need the prescription afterall? And if so, what better place to leave untaken pills than at the pharmacy?
I wonder how easy it is going to be to “history sniff” into our electronic medical records.
Good question, Nancy. it’s worrisome.
The norm is for physicians to prescribe drugs — often with little discussion of costs or alternatives. Patients sometimes suffer from sticker shock once they discover the drug costs more than $100. Public health advocates wring their hands and lament about how unfortunate it is when patients must decide between drugs and their money. But the economist in me views this as a revealed preference, where patients make choices. The sad part is in most instances, there is probably a drug that would meet patients’ needs at a price that fits their budget. But out system is not designed to easily accommodate patients who are meek consumers. When faced with the task of calling the doctor to ask for a generic rather than a costly name-brand, many patients decide to just walk away.
Robotic pants? As in Wallace and Gromit?
http://www.imdb.com/media/rm565681152/tt0108598
Until we know what kind of drugs are not picked up and who the payor was we can’t really say anything about whether physicians are over prescribing.
For example, someone prescribed pain pills might have the prescription filled but decide he doesn’t need it. People with chronic illnesses might not pick up their meds because they are unexpectedly admitted to a hospital or a nursing home. And some of those drugs might be part of “diversion” efforts that, for one reason or another, didn’t work out.