PharmCountry » the future of pharmacy http://pharmcountry.net Curse you, Eli Whitney! Thu, 17 Dec 2009 00:27:37 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 Behind the counter – restricting drug access? http://pharmcountry.net/2007/11/21/behind-the-counter-restricting-drug-access/ http://pharmcountry.net/2007/11/21/behind-the-counter-restricting-drug-access/#comments Wed, 21 Nov 2007 15:21:28 +0000 Andrew http://www.pharmcountry.net/2007/11/21/behind-the-counter-restricting-drug-access/ So, unless you’ve been under a rock (or working 12-hour shifts in a pharmacy), you’ve probably heard that the FDA is considering a third class of drugs called “Behind the counter,” where certain drugs will be made available without a prescription as long as a pharmacist counsels the patient.

The prime example of this is already in effect: Plan B. I was just reading an article on the subject of BTC, when I came across this doozy:

Citing Plan B as an example, [Kristin Moore, an opponent of BTC] said placing it behind the counter has unnecessarily delayed access to this time-sensitive treatment, potentially increasing the risk of unintended pregnancy.

Wait a second; making Plan B available without a prescription has delayed access to it? Let me get this straight; being able to show ID at any local pharmacy takes longer than scheduling an emergency appointment at your doctor’s office, waiting for hours to be seen by a doctor, then driving to the pharmacy and having to wait for the pharmacist to fill the prescription?

As John Stossel would say, give me a break.

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