The French healthcare system is second to none....but I sometimes ask myself at what cost. Occasionally discussions are raised about the issue of over-prescribing but the pharmaceutical industry and retail chemists appear to oppose any form of prescribing related to actual need. I will give you a small example.
After two recent cataract operations, my opthalmologist advised me that if my eyes felt tired after, say prolonged reading or time in front of my computer screen, I could use eye drops. She then wrote a precription for one month's supply, renewable 12 times.
When I took the prescription to the pharmacy even the people waiting behind me gasped as the chemist handed me 20 boxes, each containing a number of individual dosage phials, for use three times a day x both eyes. I asked 'Are these for the whole year?'. 'No' he replied, 'Just for January' ! I have used the drops occasionally just when necessary and by the end of February still have 19.99 packets left. This is a crazy waste of money, as the assumption is I would be using 6 x 365 = 2190 doses over one year!
After two recent cataract operations, my opthalmologist advised me that if my eyes felt tired after, say prolonged reading or time in front of my computer screen, I could use eye drops. She then wrote a precription for one month's supply, renewable 12 times.
When I took the prescription to the pharmacy even the people waiting behind me gasped as the chemist handed me 20 boxes, each containing a number of individual dosage phials, for use three times a day x both eyes. I asked 'Are these for the whole year?'. 'No' he replied, 'Just for January' ! I have used the drops occasionally just when necessary and by the end of February still have 19.99 packets left. This is a crazy waste of money, as the assumption is I would be using 6 x 365 = 2190 doses over one year!