Over the Counter Inhalers to Disappear Soon by AnthonyT

REAL WORLD EVENT DISCUSSIONS

Over the Counter Inhalers to Disappear Soon

POSTED BY: ANTHONYT
UPDATED: Sunday, October 2, 2011 02:00
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VIEWED: 3308
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Saturday, September 24, 2011 7:53 AM

Freedom is Important because People are Important

http://thechart.blogs.cnn.com/2011/09/22/no-more-primatene-mist-in-the
-u-s-after-this-year/?iref=obinsite

Hello,

I find this development troubling. My prescription inhaler costs about the same as this over-the-counter inhaler even after insurance chips in. However, I must periodically go to the doctor to renew my prescription, and this means a $25 copay currently. Soon, it will be much more expensive, because the new health plans require me to spend thousands of dollars before they kick in and provide partial coverage. Obviously, I'm not anxious to visit the doctor unless I'm very ill because it could now cost me 50-100 dollars a visit depending on the doctor.

So my easy solution to the problem will now be gone. An easy to get over-the-counter medicine that could stop my asthma attack in five seconds flat is now being removed, and there is no new over-the-counter replacement on the horizon.

I am quite dismayed.

--Anthony

_______________________________________________

"In every war, the state enacts a tax of freedom upon the citizenry. The unspoken promise is that the tax shall be revoked at war's end. Endless war holds no such promise. Hence, Eternal War is Eternal Slavery." --Admiral Robert J. Henner

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Saturday, September 24, 2011 8:10 AM

FIVVER

Anthony,

I'm in the same boat you are. Not only are the OTC inhalers disappearing for good, but the prescription ones are having to be reformulated and from what I've heard they are no where near as effective as the current Combivent.

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Saturday, September 24, 2011 8:33 AM

ANTHONYT

Freedom is Important because People are Important

Hello,

I have half a mind to try a bulk order of these inhalers before they go off the market, at least to get me through the next year. About 12 should do it.

My only concern is that the government may think I'm building a meth lab or some other something.

--Anthony

_______________________________________________

"In every war, the state enacts a tax of freedom upon the citizenry. The unspoken promise is that the tax shall be revoked at war's end. Endless war holds no such promise. Hence, Eternal War is Eternal Slavery." --Admiral Robert J. Henner

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Saturday, September 24, 2011 1:55 PM

NEWOLDBROWNCOAT

Mrs BC is asthmatic too.
She's still pissed off because the old prescription Albuterol was available as a generic, thru many manufacturers, and consequently, cheap for a prescription drug. The reformulated stuff is a NEW medication, patented by only one company, and so way more expensive. Also comes in a smaller size, so it takes her 2 a month, instead of 1 of the old stuff.

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Sunday, September 25, 2011 7:45 PM

RIONAEIRE

Beir bua agus beannacht

Why do they need to reformulate, especially if it is harder for Joe Shmos who don't have asthma to get it at the corner store?

I guess I can see both sides to this one. On one hand it makes it harder for people to get them and misuse them, but on the other hand its a pain for people who need them.

"A completely coherant River means writers don't deliver" KatTaya

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Monday, September 26, 2011 4:03 AM

NEWOLDBROWNCOAT

There were 2 major issues that led to reformation, both results of either regulation or political pressure:
1) they changed the propellant from Freon to carbon dioxide-- this was a greenhouse gas/ global warming/ air pollution regulatory change. The propellant is an inert, inactive ingredient, but you do breathe it,do it has to be safe.

2) the old product had a little bit of alcohol in it. I don't remember the percentage, but it was a tiny amount. There was some commentary that users, especially kids, were using the inhalers as a legal way to get drunk, or at least buzzed. Also that it was creating alcoholics, or causing problems for reformed alcoholics. This was where the public/ political pressure happened. So they removed the alcohol. Alcohol is an active ingredient-- it cause well known physical reactions. Some might have even been helpful in the treatment.

SO the drug companies had to reformulate- had to go thru the WHOLE re-inspection / re-certification process again- cost a ton of investment. But they wanted to anyway, because that way it became a NEW drug that they could patent and monopolize, get the exclusive rights to, and increase prices and profits for a long time.

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Monday, September 26, 2011 4:24 AM

GEEZER

Keep the Shiny side up

Looks like another unintended consequence of environmental protection. The OTC inhalers use chloroflorocarbons, presumably in small amounts, as a propellant. Since CFCs have been banned, and no one thought to make an exception for stuff like inhalers, they gotta go to keep us in compliance with international treaties. So the air's cleaner, but folks with asthma can't breath it. Good job, somebody.

"Keep the Shiny side up"

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Monday, September 26, 2011 8:41 AM

RIONAEIRE

Beir bua agus beannacht

Now, if they're removing them from over the counter, so kids can't just pick them up and potentially get buzzed, why should they have to take the tiny bit of alcohol out?

Unfortunately it might take some tragic situations to convince the manufacturers to go back to the original chemicals. :(

Anthony, you totally could go buy a bunch before they stop selling, I think that would be a good idea so you have some for a while, if the government has a problem with that you should just tell them its their fault and to lay off.

"A completely coherant River means writers don't deliver" KatTaya

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Monday, September 26, 2011 9:04 AM

BYTEMITE

Quote:
if the government has a problem with that you should just tell them its their fault and to lay off.

That usually doesn't work out so well, but it would sure be something to see anyway.

*waves "Go Anthony" flag*

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Monday, September 26, 2011 2:24 PM

RIONAEIRE

Beir bua agus beannacht

Well Anthony is very articulate and good at wording things so as to limit the anger of others, so maybe he can pull it off.

"A completely coherant River means writers don't deliver" KatTaya

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Monday, September 26, 2011 6:21 PM

LILI

Doing it backwards. Walking up the downslide.

I'll just throw out a nugget of hope for you, Anthony: Sudafed went back to their original formula, even though it means they have to go back to being sold from behind the counter. If the new formula doesn't work and the old one did, they'll catch on eventually.

Facts are stubborn things.

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Monday, September 26, 2011 7:31 PM

1KIKI

Goodbye, kind world (George Monbiot) - In common with all those generations which have contemplated catastrophe, we appear to be incapable of understanding what confronts us.

Actually it's the CFC (ozone destroying) propellant that's the problem. Though OTHER inhalers have been reformulated with HCFC, and CO2 propellant is also a possibility - so why the manufacturers of this product don't reformulate I'm not sure. I intend to stock up for my mom.

Remember when teachers, public employees, Planned Parenthood, NPR and PBS crashed the stock market, wiped out half of our 401Ks, took trillions in taxpayer funded bailouts, spilled oil in the Gulf of Mexico, gave themselves billions in bonuses, and paid no taxes?

Yeah, me neither....

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Monday, September 26, 2011 7:34 PM

KAREL

Flying on duct tape and a damaged registry.

I'm f

d. I only need it a few times a year AT MOST. In fact, I have had a bottle or two go out of date because I use it so infrequently. (They're serious about that expiration date, btw. Doesn't work much after that!) However, when I need it, I NEED it. I don't want to have to take the pills "just in case." They don't work nearly as well, and they make me feel ill like I drank way too much coffee, both with the jitters and upset stomach.

Whatever happened to Marax?

"Whatever is wrong with you is so right for me." -- Marillion.

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Monday, September 26, 2011 7:53 PM

1KIKI

Goodbye, kind world (George Monbiot) - In common with all those generations which have contemplated catastrophe, we appear to be incapable of understanding what confronts us.

Do you have any experience keeping them in the frig to make them last longer?

Remember when teachers, public employees, Planned Parenthood, NPR and PBS crashed the stock market, wiped out half of our 401Ks, took trillions in taxpayer funded bailouts, spilled oil in the Gulf of Mexico, gave themselves billions in bonuses, and paid no taxes?

Yeah, me neither....

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Monday, September 26, 2011 11:28 PM

FREMDFIRMA

*hums smugglers blues and points north*

-F

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Tuesday, September 27, 2011 5:00 AM

KAREL

Flying on duct tape and a damaged registry.

Quote:
Originally posted by Fremdfirma:

*hums smugglers blues and points north*

-F

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Tuesday, September 27, 2011 5:33 AM

AURAPTOR

America loves a winner!

What, this not the hope and change y'all voted for ?

Big govt, looking out for you. Ain't it great ?

" I do not love the bright sword for its sharpness, nor the arrow for its swiftness, nor the warrior for his glory. I love only that which they defend. "

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Tuesday, September 27, 2011 7:58 AM

PHOENIXROSE

You think you know--what's to come, what you are. You haven't even begun.

Quote:
Originally posted by AURaptor:

What, this not the hope and change y'all voted for ?

Big govt, looking out for you. Ain't it great ?

Remind us again who it was that decided products containing pseudoephedrine would be available only from behind the pharmacy counter, and only if you signed something promising not to make meth out of it, a form to be kept on file for no less than two years? When was that, now? It was included in an Act of some kind, that claimed to be for, I think, patriots.

Stones and glass houses. This sort of "looking out" for us comes from all sectors.

What reason had proved best ceased to look absurd to the eye, which shows how idle it is to think anything ridiculous except what is wrong.

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Tuesday, September 27, 2011 6:18 PM

1KIKI

Goodbye, kind world (George Monbiot) - In common with all those generations which have contemplated catastrophe, we appear to be incapable of understanding what confronts us.

Actually, this is a result of The Montreal Protocol on Substances That Deplete the Ozone Layer which was ratified by the United States in August 1986. Now, who was president back then? I keep thinking it was Ronald ... somebody. McDonald?

It sure would be nice if little Rappy acquainted himself with reality. Or maybe started small with a simple fact or two.

Remember when teachers, public employees, Planned Parenthood, NPR and PBS crashed the stock market, wiped out half of our 401Ks, took trillions in taxpayer funded bailouts, spilled oil in the Gulf of Mexico, gave themselves billions in bonuses, and paid no taxes?

Yeah, me neither....

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Tuesday, September 27, 2011 7:27 PM

1KIKI

Goodbye, kind world (George Monbiot) - In common with all those generations which have contemplated catastrophe, we appear to be incapable of understanding what confronts us.

http://www.dddmag.com/news-Last-OTC-Inhalers-Being-Phased-Out-92711.as
px

Last OTC Inhalers Being Phased Out
Drug Discovery & Development - September 27, 2011

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration says users of epinephrine inhalers containing chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) should plan now to get a prescription for a replacement product because these inhalers will not be made or sold after Dec. 31, 2011.

Epinephrine inhalers, marketed by Armstrong Pharmaceutical Inc. as Primatene Mist, are the only FDA-approved inhalers for the temporary relief of occasional symptoms of mild asthma that are sold over-the-counter in retail stores without a prescription. The product uses CFCs to propel the medicine out of the inhaler so that consumers can breathe it into their lungs.

However, Primatene Mist will no longer be available by year’s end because no CFC-containing epinephrine inhalers can be made or sold after Dec. 31, 2011, to comply with obligations made under the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer. This is an international agreement signed by the United States, in which countries agreed to phase-out substances that deplete the ozone layer, including CFCs, after certain dates.

“If you rely on an over-the-counter inhaler to relieve your asthma symptoms, it is important that you contact a health care professional to talk about switching to a different medicine to treat your asthma,” said Badrul Chowdhury, M.D., director of the Division of Pulmonary, Allergy and Rheumatology Products in the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research.

The FDA began public discussions about the use of CFCs in epinephrine inhalers in January 2006. The FDA finalized the phase-out date for using CFCs in these inhalers and notified the public in November 2008. Many manufacturers have changed their inhalers to replace CFCs with an environmentally-friendly propellant called hydrofluoroalkane (HFA). There is currently no HFA version of epinephrine inhalers.

There are, however, many other safe and effective inhalers to treat asthma symptoms. All of these inhalers require a prescription, which must come from a licensed health care professional (physician, physician’s assistant or nurse practitioner). Current epinephrine inhaler users that don’t have a health care professional to write them a new prescription can ask a family member or friend what doctor they use and would recommend, or they can visit a federally-qualified health center, local clinic, community health center, or minute-clinic (sometimes located in pharmacies) to see a health care professional and get a prescription.

Primatene Mist already carries a prominent notice about the phase-out date on its product label, and the FDA encourages Armstrong Pharmaceutical to further educate consumers as the deadline approaches to ensure an incident-free transition. The agency also will continue to work with retailers and pharmacies to facilitate a smooth phase-out of this CFC product and is prepared to review applications for replacement products.

Date: September 22, 2011
Source: U.S. Food and Drug Administration

Remember when teachers, public employees, Planned Parenthood, NPR and PBS crashed the stock market, wiped out half of our 401Ks, took trillions in taxpayer funded bailouts, spilled oil in the Gulf of Mexico, gave themselves billions in bonuses, and paid no taxes?

Yeah, me neither....

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Tuesday, September 27, 2011 11:45 PM

AURAPTOR

America loves a winner!

Quote:
Originally posted by 1kiki:
Actually, this is a result of The Montreal Protocol on Substances That Deplete the Ozone Layer which was ratified by the United States in August 1986. Now, who was president back then? I keep thinking it was Ronald ... somebody. McDonald?

It sure would be nice if little Rappy acquainted himself with reality. Or maybe started small with a simple fact or two.

Funny how you some how tie the banning of inhalants today to a treaty on CFC's, signed a quarter century ago. That was suppose to control such gasses being released into the atmo. If I'm understanding the concept of inhalants correctly, ( never having used them myself ) the point is to INHALE them, into the body, and not spray them in the air. Only from the minds of big govt can we get such asinine regulations. See how they affect people in the REAL world, despite the best of intentions.

" I do not love the bright sword for its sharpness, nor the arrow for its swiftness, nor the warrior for his glory. I love only that which they defend. "

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Wednesday, September 28, 2011 5:21 PM

1KIKI

Goodbye, kind world (George Monbiot) - In common with all those generations which have contemplated catastrophe, we appear to be incapable of understanding what confronts us.

"... the point is to INHALE them, into the body ..."

OMG. Could you BE any more fucking ignorant. The medicine gets absorbed. The propellant - not so much. Why not? B/c the propellant is specifically selected to be inert - to neither interact with the medicine or the body. You inhale it - and you exhale it. Into the atmosphere. Duh.

You are such a fucking dunce.

Oh, and BTW - still the fault of Ronald ... somebody. Used to be president.

Remember when teachers, public employees, Planned Parenthood, NPR and PBS crashed the stock market, wiped out half of our 401Ks, took trillions in taxpayer funded bailouts, spilled oil in the Gulf of Mexico, gave themselves billions in bonuses, and paid no taxes?

Yeah, me neither....

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Saturday, October 1, 2011 6:39 AM

SIGNYM

I believe in solving problems, not sharing them.

Seems the mfr of the OTC version didn't want to reformulate. Prolly would not get enough of a profit on the new item. (hooray for capitalism) And now that the newer versions have patents which won't expire for 20 years (thanks to the pharmas which lobbied for extended intellectual property rights) the reformulated products won't become generic... much less OTC... for many years. But yanno, it's not like the pharmas didn't have 25 years to prepare for this. I guess they're too busy thinking of ways to break each others' patents on meds like Viagra and Lipitor to pay attention to such lowly (low profit) matters.

I use an inhaler very infrequently, and like some others mine has expired. So I'm going to get some and refrigerate it. That will make it last at least twice as long.

Also, if you have to use an inhaler frequently, you should prolly be using an Rx for steroid as well.

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Saturday, October 1, 2011 7:58 AM

FREMDFIRMA

Well, I dunno about other states, but here in MI, as I am fond of saying - COMMERCE CONTINUES.

Many OTC or prescription meds that would be otherwise wholly un-affordable thanks be to Big Pharma price gouging, and the handed-over-to-criminals aspect of what has become medicare prescription drug coverage (many of the companies involved agreed to service medicare in exchange for not being criminally prosecuted, and go right back to their old ways in lieu of proper oversight) or just how hideous most so-called health care plans ARE...

Well, the dope dealers of Detroit and surrounding area are making big bank undercutting the system with smuggled Canadian and other meds, and I don't mean street drugs, but shit like blood pressure and other common meds which'd be otherwise unavailable to the poor, or force them to choose between medicine and rent - which IMHO is a form of murder by neglect.

Honestly, what does it say when you have to go see the corner dope man for grammas medication ?

Anyhows, they're buyin up those inhalers like mad from any source they can get em, and rumor has it one recent break in on a pharmaceutical warehouse had something to do with that as well.

-Frem

I do not serve the Blind God.

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Sunday, October 2, 2011 2:00 AM

AURAPTOR

America loves a winner!

Quote:
Originally posted by 1kiki:
"... the point is to INHALE them, into the body ..."

OMG. Could you BE any more fucking ignorant. The medicine gets absorbed. The propellant - not so much. Why not? B/c the propellant is specifically selected to be inert - to neither interact with the medicine or the body. You inhale it - and you exhale it. Into the atmosphere. Duh.

You are such a fucking dunce.

Oh, and BTW - still the fault of Ronald ... somebody. Used to be president.

Your level of incredulity doesn't in the least bit counter what I stated. That it's inert ? Does the medicine get exhaled too ? Seems so, by your logic. Oh, you said the meds get absorbed, but not the propellant, right ?Is that what you WISH were true, or do you KNOW this to be true ?

And it's not Reagan's fault. He didn't sign / promote this part of the bill. The resulting nonsense has been amended, several times, in the past quarter of a century.

But by all means, you go on defending this sort of crap, and believe that it's doing anything positive for the environment. Screw those folks who can't breath easily , as often as they'd like , or have to spend 5x's or more for the cost of buying the EXACT SAME MEDS! How the hell is THAT helping anyone, save the doctors and drug companies, for selling the same stuff, just at a higher cost ?

This is more idiotic govt control, you brainless git. Not 1 damn thing of this will positively affect the atmo.

But hey, doesn't affect me, I don't use those things. So what do I care, right ?

" I do not love the bright sword for its sharpness, nor the arrow for its swiftness, nor the warrior for his glory. I love only that which they defend. "

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