A doctor’s take on sharing medication
“Share Now, Pay Later” (May 23) amply describes the risks of sharing medicines, but with the high cost of medicines, it’s no wonder that patients take chances.
The key is to prescribe the same medicines to each partner where feasible. The pharmaceutical industry wants the public to believe that every medicine is unique and irreplaceable. The truth is that all medicines in the same class of drugs are very similar in effects, with a few differences in side effects. Generic drugs are essentially exact reproductions of the brand name drugs and much less expensive. I explain this to my patients.
The warning I give my patients is regarding dosing, expiration dates and the importance of storing medicines properly, in their original containers. I also explain when a medicine cannot be divided because it would disrupt its slow-release effect or its irritation-barrier coating. I explain which medicines have short shelf life and, where possible, how to recognize when they must be discarded.
I believe that these tasks are part of a good doctor’s job.
Dr. Melvin H. Kirschner
Van Nuys
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