Prescription Drugs and You...

you've seen the doctor
he gave you a sheet for drugs
clearly not enough

So after you fill your prescription and then you run out, what are you do to? Better yet, what if you've gotten over your ailment and you have a relapse? You continue going to see the doctor and ask for drugs to help you with your problem. Obviously you look like some kind of addict because you wander into the doctor's office and recommend your own course of treatment. You went to school for media, not pharmacy or medicine, so how does that work exactly? It doesn't.

That's the problem with the internet these days -- a plethora of medical knowledge for anyone who can spell their symptoms. Often times it might lead to a wrong diagnosis, but usually mine are right on... What you also find on the internet is what's known as The Online Pharmacy.

The online pharmacy is easier than tying your shoe. You fill out a small form that includes your name, address, symptoms, height and weight, check some boxes that say the information you have provided is true, and then you select the medications you'd like. After faxing your ID and some medical records to the people, a physician's assistant gives you a call to review your case, they sympathize and then approve your order.

As each online pharmacy is different, medications and consultation fees will vary. Some will offer refills on the medication that you have been provided while others will require you to consult again. Keep in mind, more often than not these prescriptions are controlled substances that often carry no refills and require you to see your doctor again, so while more costly, the convenience is definitely something to think about.

Most take credit cards while others ship COD. I feel more secure with sites that use credit cards because in the event of misrepresentation of goods or poor quality, while you can't return them, you can dispute the charges very easily. With COD you have three options, well two in reality. COD means Collect On Delivery. You can't pay with cash, so you need a check or a money order. Money orders are nothing more that going to the post office or gas station or whatever and giving them money to put on a check-like monetary instrument. Keep in mind, there's no real link to the money order to yourself, so it's virtually impossible to contest something like that. Another option is a personal check, but those might as well be Monopoly money these days. Personal checks are a joke, they bounce more than a basketball. The third option, most costly, but quite desirable, a cashier's check from your bank account to the online pharmacy. With this option, the money is taken right away, so there is no check clearing time period, but it also has the security of the stop payment option.

The debate over online pharmacies is still raging on because people are using them to acquire controlled substances that are often linked to abuse. Those substances the real doctor is less likely to prescribe, or prescribe in a very limited amount. Regardless of your opinion on online pharmacies, I'd rather have things on hand that I know are therapeutic to my needs than have to go and beg Dr. Jose for medication only for him to tell me no and then suggest some Prozac like alternative.

My online pharmacy sent me three medications:

• Soma, a Muscle Relaxer, 120 ct.
  
• Vicodin HP, a Narcotic Pain Killer, 10mg Hydrocodone/650 Tylenol, 120 ct.
  
• Xanax 2mg Bars, a Benzodiazepine used for Anxiety and Sleep, 120 ct.

While two of the three are controlled substances and can be addictive, everything has some form of addictive quality, from sex to chocolate. Moderation and discipline are paramount when self medicating. Nothing is wrong with it, just make sure you know what you're doing.

Dr. Chulo Rodriguez office, how may I direct your call?