Cheeky,
My dad has glaucoma and is on heart medication. Mom's on high blood pressure medication. My sister had her thyroid removed and requires thyroid medication. My brother-in-law is a diabetic. Guess I'm the only healthy one in the group. I'm on no meds.
If you were me ... what would you do???
What would you do? Would you ignore this information because you think Y2K will be a blip in the road? Would you just say to yourself, "Oh no, another article trying to panic people. I'm just gonna ignore this. My parents don't need to know. Y2K is not as big as everything think's it's going to be."
What I told my parents, sister, brother-in-law ... and good friend with MS ... was to start stockpiling at least 3 months worth of medication ... just to be safe.
What would you do? Tell us.
Without the glaucoma drops, my dad would quickly go blind. With everyone else I mentioned, their health would ...
So, who's more responsible? You or I? I try to share information to help people, as do most of the "regulars" on this thread.
All the the "regulars" get sick of the "planes falling from the sky, microwave, VCR stuff". YOU are the only one who keeps on posting anything here about this BS. Why?
Cheryl
PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING BEFORE YOU RESPOND. (It's in 2 parts.)
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PART 1:
DRUG COMPANIES PREPARE FOR Y2K RUN ON MEDICINES
WALL STREET JOURNAL - February 2, 1999
By Elyse Tanouye - Staff Reporter WALL STREET JOURNAL
Pharmaceutical companies believe that [hoarding] is a real possibility, and they are in the early stages of mapping out ways to potentially ramp up production of drugs they think patients will rush to stockpile, and to help wholesalers deal with larger-than-normal amounts of inventory.
Manufacturers say they are hearing reports of doctors advising patients to stock up as Jan. 1, 2000, approaches ... Merck & Co., too, is paying closer attention to sales patterns in the hope of detecting early signs of hoarding, says Charles Popper, chief information officer. But meeting a sudden surge in demand could be challenging.
"One reason we keep saying [stockpiling] is dangerous for the industry and patients is that we can't turn around on a dime," Dr. Popper says. It can take months to develop a drug from raw materials to finished product, and many manufacturing plants are booked tightly.
A surge in demand could quickly tax capacity. "There's not that much give in the system," Dr. Popper says. Because of U.S. Food and Drug Administration regulations, drug companies can't quickly add capacity, contract with new raw-material suppliers or make other changes to respond to a suddenly changing marketplace ....
Preventing a run on drugs, however, is complicated. Contingency plans may include refusing to fill orders that are much larger than usual, he says. But placing limits on orders, whether from a pharmacy or a patient, could fuel patients' fears of shortages ....
What would a drug-company technology expert advise patients who depend on medicines? Here's what Susan O'Day, vice president of information services at Bristol-Myers Squibb Co., says she would tell her own parents, who take various medications: "Make sure you have a reasonable amount on hand."
Message 7622293
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If you're still unsure and need convincing ... check out the recent testimony from the American Pharmaceutical Association:
PART 2:
"Pharmacy will experience the impact of glitches in Year 2000 compliance sooner than other health care providers, with January 1 of 1999 the first date for potential problems. We are working to alert alert pharmacists to check on the compliance of their systems -- and take action to avoid problems." ... I am Richard Carbray, a pharmacist, and I am speaking today on behalf of the American Pharmaceutical Association (APhA), the national professional society of pharmacists, and the Connecticut Pharmacists Association ...
Pharmacy is likely the most computerized segment of the health care industry, with an estimated 99% of prescriptions dispensed using computers.
Let me quantify this for you: in 1995, prescriptions filled in retail, long term care and mail service pharmacies totaled more than 2.3 billion. This does not include prescription medications dispensed in hospitals and other settings. With advancements in medication therapy and increasing reliance on these agents, these numbers will only increase and increase the use of computers in these settings. Most pharmacies use computers for virtually every aspect of day-to-day operation.
For example, in any given pharmacy there may be different systems to track sales and inventory and maintain patient profiles, check for drug interactions, track prescription refills and maintain patient records.
In addition to this use within the pharmacy, on-line, real-time transmission of claims for third-party coverage of prescription drugs is a normal component of pharmacy practice. The claim for third party coverage of the prescription is transmitted to a claims processor, such as a State Medicaid agency, for on-line, real-time review of the prescription to confirm eligibility of the patient for coverage and conduct some drug utilization review activities. In 1996, more than one billion prescription claims were processed in this manner.
OCTOBER 7, 1998 SENATE HEARING
Small Businesses to Global Corporations: Will they survive Y2K?
senate.gov
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So, if you were me, Cheeky. What would you do? Share this information? Ignore it? Discredit it? There are many more than I, who would like to know.
Cheryl
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