Here in the States if you buy the generic acetominephen it will only cost you like $4 for 500 of the extra-strength, where exactly the same drug if it's a prescription will cost you 2-3 times that. It's like I've taken advil for cramps since I was 15 and it was a prescription drug. (It does nothing for me for pain, but it will stop cramps like a switch and slow down the heavy beginning of my period to a trickle.) When I took the prescription version the pills were 400mg each and I always felt like 1 wasn't enough and 2 was too much so I was very happy when the over-the-counter came out and it is 200mg and I take 3. One time a doc offered me a prescription for 600mg pills, and I asked him if that was any different from taking 3 of the OTC strength, and he said, "No, and it's a lot cheaper that way, too." I think that there are patients out there who don't feel happy unless they leave the doctor with a scrip -- and rather than argue the doctors just give them the scrip and they happily go off and spend 2,3,4 times what they could have gotten exactly the same drug for if they had bought the over-the-counter. At least that's how it works in the US, anyway.
At Sun, 6 Jan 2002, Jayne wrote:
>
>Hi Cathy,
>
>Thanks for all this information. I take Tylenol 2's with codeine not the
>extra strength Tylenol as they do nothing for my pain at all.
>
>What I was confused about was how come 3 x Tylenol 2's with codeine are more
>beneficial than 2 x Tylenol 3's with codiene wouldn't it be the same dosage?
>
>I always watch to see how my bowel reacts to the codeine and I am always
>told to drink LOTS of water while taking it especially after pelvic surgery.
>I really don't think the codeine makes me constipated though.
>
>Actually my Tylenol 2's don't cost that much, about $14 a month (for 180)
>compared to about $8 (for 100) for regular extra strength. There really
>isn't that much difference in price if you go by quantity.
>
-- cathy :-)