MDs Prescribe SSRIS Within 3 Minutes of Consultation

[Guest guest]

These doctors are pretty good if they can determine a brain chemistry

imbalance in just speaking to a person after only 3 minutes. Wow, with the

ability like that you would think they would all be millionaires. I wonder

how they became so good with diagnosing like that. Must be all the education

they pay thousands to get. It's amazing what money can buy.

Connie

[Guest guest]

These doctors are pretty good if they can determine a brain chemistry

imbalance in just speaking to a person after only 3 minutes. Wow, with the

ability like that you would think they would all be millionaires. I wonder

how they became so good with diagnosing like that. Must be all the education

they pay thousands to get. It's amazing what money can buy.

Connie

[Guest guest]

These doctors are pretty good if they can determine a brain chemistry

imbalance in just speaking to a person after only 3 minutes. Wow, with the

ability like that you would think they would all be millionaires. I wonder

how they became so good with diagnosing like that. Must be all the education

they pay thousands to get. It's amazing what money can buy.

Connie

[Guest guest]

These doctors are pretty good if they can determine a brain chemistry

imbalance in just speaking to a person after only 3 minutes. Wow, with the

ability like that you would think they would all be millionaires. I wonder

how they became so good with diagnosing like that. Must be all the education

they pay thousands to get. It's amazing what money can buy.

Connie

[Guest guest]

Anti-depression drugs fuel record-setting drug costs

http://www.wcanews.com/archives/1999/Sep/sep99c.htm

A Rand Corporation study recently found that doctors prescribe

anti-depressants after an average of only three minutes of conversation with

their patients.

One of the reasons they're so quick to push drugs like Prozac, Zoloft and

Paxil is because of the incredible amount of marketing they are subjected to

by the pharmaceutical companies.

Because M.D.s don't have the time to check on real research about the

diagnosis and treatment of these drugs, they rely almost solely on drug

makers to provide prescribing information. The result is that powerful and

potentially dangerous drugs are handed out like candy.

The pharmaceutical companies have apparently been successful in their

marketing campaign, since antidepressant drugs are now the biggest

contributors to a record-setting drug cost increase of 16.8% last year,

according to a study by the country's largest independent pharmacy benefit

manager, Express Scripts, Inc.

For consumers, the cost increases mean they will pay a bigger share of the

expense in the form of higher copayments, ranging from $5.00 for generic

drugs to $25 or more for selected, single-source brands. Employers and other

pharmacy benefit plan sponsors currently pay as much as 80% of a

prescription's cost, which can amount to more than $100 each in some cases.

Employers are increasingly unable, or unwilling, to foot the enormous

medical and drug bills being incurred by their workers and many are greatly

reducing health benefits to all employees. Often, the alternative is to

reduce other benefits and even salaries as well in order to meet the health

care costs. The end result is that all workers face the possibility of less

income or fewer benefits in order to continue to make drug companies richer.

Drugs used to treat depression accounted for $4.76 of last year's $47.35

average increase in per member per year drug costs. These drugs are expected

to account for more of the pharmacy benefit dollar than any other class of

drugs by the end of 1999, according to Express Scripts.

Antidepressant drugs are now the second most used class of drugs, just

behind blood pressure controlling antihypertensive drugs like ACE

inhibitors. Antidepressant use increased 11.9% last year, while use of

antihypertensive drugs increased 9.7%.

The study also found usage growing for drugs that are marketed as ways to

control high blood pressure, combat diabetes, lower cholesterol, treat

digestive problems, and open sinuses.

Drug prices are higher across the board, too. In 1997-98, prices for all but

one of the nation's 50 most prescribed drugs increased, many several times

and often by double digits.

SOURCE: Express Scripts, Inc., Press Release, June 29, 1999.

_________________________________________________________________

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[Guest guest]

Anti-depression drugs fuel record-setting drug costs

http://www.wcanews.com/archives/1999/Sep/sep99c.htm

A Rand Corporation study recently found that doctors prescribe

anti-depressants after an average of only three minutes of conversation with

their patients.

One of the reasons they're so quick to push drugs like Prozac, Zoloft and

Paxil is because of the incredible amount of marketing they are subjected to

by the pharmaceutical companies.

Because M.D.s don't have the time to check on real research about the

diagnosis and treatment of these drugs, they rely almost solely on drug

makers to provide prescribing information. The result is that powerful and

potentially dangerous drugs are handed out like candy.

The pharmaceutical companies have apparently been successful in their

marketing campaign, since antidepressant drugs are now the biggest

contributors to a record-setting drug cost increase of 16.8% last year,

according to a study by the country's largest independent pharmacy benefit

manager, Express Scripts, Inc.

For consumers, the cost increases mean they will pay a bigger share of the

expense in the form of higher copayments, ranging from $5.00 for generic

drugs to $25 or more for selected, single-source brands. Employers and other

pharmacy benefit plan sponsors currently pay as much as 80% of a

prescription's cost, which can amount to more than $100 each in some cases.

Employers are increasingly unable, or unwilling, to foot the enormous

medical and drug bills being incurred by their workers and many are greatly

reducing health benefits to all employees. Often, the alternative is to

reduce other benefits and even salaries as well in order to meet the health

care costs. The end result is that all workers face the possibility of less

income or fewer benefits in order to continue to make drug companies richer.

Drugs used to treat depression accounted for $4.76 of last year's $47.35

average increase in per member per year drug costs. These drugs are expected

to account for more of the pharmacy benefit dollar than any other class of

drugs by the end of 1999, according to Express Scripts.

Antidepressant drugs are now the second most used class of drugs, just

behind blood pressure controlling antihypertensive drugs like ACE

inhibitors. Antidepressant use increased 11.9% last year, while use of

antihypertensive drugs increased 9.7%.

The study also found usage growing for drugs that are marketed as ways to

control high blood pressure, combat diabetes, lower cholesterol, treat

digestive problems, and open sinuses.

Drug prices are higher across the board, too. In 1997-98, prices for all but

one of the nation's 50 most prescribed drugs increased, many several times

and often by double digits.

SOURCE: Express Scripts, Inc., Press Release, June 29, 1999.

_________________________________________________________________

Tired of spam? Get advanced junk mail protection with MSN 8.

http://join.msn.com/?page=features/junkmail

[Guest guest]

Anti-depression drugs fuel record-setting drug costs

http://www.wcanews.com/archives/1999/Sep/sep99c.htm

A Rand Corporation study recently found that doctors prescribe

anti-depressants after an average of only three minutes of conversation with

their patients.

One of the reasons they're so quick to push drugs like Prozac, Zoloft and

Paxil is because of the incredible amount of marketing they are subjected to

by the pharmaceutical companies.

Because M.D.s don't have the time to check on real research about the

diagnosis and treatment of these drugs, they rely almost solely on drug

makers to provide prescribing information. The result is that powerful and

potentially dangerous drugs are handed out like candy.

The pharmaceutical companies have apparently been successful in their

marketing campaign, since antidepressant drugs are now the biggest

contributors to a record-setting drug cost increase of 16.8% last year,

according to a study by the country's largest independent pharmacy benefit

manager, Express Scripts, Inc.

For consumers, the cost increases mean they will pay a bigger share of the

expense in the form of higher copayments, ranging from $5.00 for generic

drugs to $25 or more for selected, single-source brands. Employers and other

pharmacy benefit plan sponsors currently pay as much as 80% of a

prescription's cost, which can amount to more than $100 each in some cases.

Employers are increasingly unable, or unwilling, to foot the enormous

medical and drug bills being incurred by their workers and many are greatly

reducing health benefits to all employees. Often, the alternative is to

reduce other benefits and even salaries as well in order to meet the health

care costs. The end result is that all workers face the possibility of less

income or fewer benefits in order to continue to make drug companies richer.

Drugs used to treat depression accounted for $4.76 of last year's $47.35

average increase in per member per year drug costs. These drugs are expected

to account for more of the pharmacy benefit dollar than any other class of

drugs by the end of 1999, according to Express Scripts.

Antidepressant drugs are now the second most used class of drugs, just

behind blood pressure controlling antihypertensive drugs like ACE

inhibitors. Antidepressant use increased 11.9% last year, while use of

antihypertensive drugs increased 9.7%.

The study also found usage growing for drugs that are marketed as ways to

control high blood pressure, combat diabetes, lower cholesterol, treat

digestive problems, and open sinuses.

Drug prices are higher across the board, too. In 1997-98, prices for all but

one of the nation's 50 most prescribed drugs increased, many several times

and often by double digits.

SOURCE: Express Scripts, Inc., Press Release, June 29, 1999.

_________________________________________________________________

Tired of spam? Get advanced junk mail protection with MSN 8.

http://join.msn.com/?page=features/junkmail

[Guest guest]

Anti-depression drugs fuel record-setting drug costs

http://www.wcanews.com/archives/1999/Sep/sep99c.htm

A Rand Corporation study recently found that doctors prescribe

anti-depressants after an average of only three minutes of conversation with

their patients.

One of the reasons they're so quick to push drugs like Prozac, Zoloft and

Paxil is because of the incredible amount of marketing they are subjected to

by the pharmaceutical companies.

Because M.D.s don't have the time to check on real research about the

diagnosis and treatment of these drugs, they rely almost solely on drug

makers to provide prescribing information. The result is that powerful and

potentially dangerous drugs are handed out like candy.

The pharmaceutical companies have apparently been successful in their

marketing campaign, since antidepressant drugs are now the biggest

contributors to a record-setting drug cost increase of 16.8% last year,

according to a study by the country's largest independent pharmacy benefit

manager, Express Scripts, Inc.

For consumers, the cost increases mean they will pay a bigger share of the

expense in the form of higher copayments, ranging from $5.00 for generic

drugs to $25 or more for selected, single-source brands. Employers and other

pharmacy benefit plan sponsors currently pay as much as 80% of a

prescription's cost, which can amount to more than $100 each in some cases.

Employers are increasingly unable, or unwilling, to foot the enormous

medical and drug bills being incurred by their workers and many are greatly

reducing health benefits to all employees. Often, the alternative is to

reduce other benefits and even salaries as well in order to meet the health

care costs. The end result is that all workers face the possibility of less

income or fewer benefits in order to continue to make drug companies richer.

Drugs used to treat depression accounted for $4.76 of last year's $47.35

average increase in per member per year drug costs. These drugs are expected

to account for more of the pharmacy benefit dollar than any other class of

drugs by the end of 1999, according to Express Scripts.

Antidepressant drugs are now the second most used class of drugs, just

behind blood pressure controlling antihypertensive drugs like ACE

inhibitors. Antidepressant use increased 11.9% last year, while use of

antihypertensive drugs increased 9.7%.

The study also found usage growing for drugs that are marketed as ways to

control high blood pressure, combat diabetes, lower cholesterol, treat

digestive problems, and open sinuses.

Drug prices are higher across the board, too. In 1997-98, prices for all but

one of the nation's 50 most prescribed drugs increased, many several times

and often by double digits.

SOURCE: Express Scripts, Inc., Press Release, June 29, 1999.

_________________________________________________________________

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