Originally published at: http://boingboing.net/2017/08/01/late-stage-capitalism-4.html
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@doctorow Rob got this one up yesterday, but always like to hear your input on things so glad you found it too.
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On one hand it does seems a resourceful solution for those totally screwed by a system that does not care about their health and well being.
That said self medicating is dangerous and risky. When even medical professionals over prescribe antibiotics, non-professionals are playing a dangerous game.
Single payer healthcare can’t come soon enough.
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I live in an area with a significant ESL and immigrant population.
The bodega on my corner sells OTC antibiotics and other pharmaceuticals, because our health care (and immigration) system is so bass ackwards.
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Shhh…if they learn about it - this is what McConnell & Ryan will pass as Trumpcare.
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I was just reading some article about how Alaska has discovered this brilliant idea where they ask the US to give them money to reinsure Obamacare providers against extraordinary claims, but they expect this to cost the US less overall because, by using the government’s vast resources to flatten out risk, it will allow insurers to lower their (subsidised) premiums.
Or as people in the rest of the world would put it, “the best person to provide health insurance is the government”.
It seems like maybe Republicans’ only real objection to single-payer healthcare is that it isn’t called RepubliKlanKare, or whatever would make them feel comfortable.
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Not being able to afford proper health care exposes you to significant risk as well. If buying cheap, online medicine is all you can afford it may be the better choice, even if it’s risky. It’s true it’s bad for society as it promotes antibiotics resistance, but then “society” should make sure everyone has access to proper health care.
Even rich assholes who think they shouldn’t have to pay taxes to help the poor should consider that their money doesn’t make them immune to diseases that are resistant to every treatment available.
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I’m using horse/dog medicine to treat a fungal infection right now. When human healthcare fails us, guess it’s time to resort to veterinary medicine (after some very thorough research).
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The Republican’s objection to single payer is that they and their buddies aren’t going to get absurd profits out of it.
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I actually came to this story because I have a very persistent urinary infection that I cannot afford to deal with.
ETA, I was somewhat disappointed.
Many pet medications come from the same labs as their human counterparts. For a while I was taking the same Tramadol as my dog, both made by Ultram, but hers was cheaper.
I almost bought some canine Chlorhexidine recently, since my dentist charges an arm and a leg for it, but I was afraid it would taste like poultry.
I agree that choosing the wrong antibiotic or getting the dose wrong is something to worry about. However, it’s worth mentioning that fish antibiotics and medicines often have higher quality control that what you will find for human medication. One $40,000 fish death and the inevitable lawsuit kills the slim margins fish antibiotic suppliers work with.
The problem here is not that people use medicine for animals. The problem is that they must.
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