Legal

The Best Things in Life are Free!

04/01/2010 , 11:11 AM by Kevin Aniskovich

It’s not everyday that I use this blog to repurpose a message sent to Intelecare members; in fact, I’ve never used it for such a reason.  But in this age of social media, news comes in all shapes and sizes, and this is one such message we felt would be of interest to the broadest of audiences.  If I’m wrong, I’m certain I’ll hear about it!  Below is the content of the message.

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Intelecare Members:

I want to thank you for selecting Intelecare as your choice for personal reminders.  We are proud to have built our organization over the years based on support from members like you. Delivering nearly 7 million reminder messages every single day, Intelecare has been able to achieve this milestone thanks to our dedicated staffers, enthusiastic clients and loyal members.

Never a group to rest on our laurels, Intelecare sought feedback and released our new interface last quarter to much fanfare. We launched with a more intuitive, user friendly experience complete with options found in no other platform of its kind. At Intelecare, increasing medical adherence is our only goal – it’s what we do each and every day. And today, well today is no exception in our quest to drive adherence while thanking our loyal members.

Today, I am happy to announce that Intelecare is free, for each and every patient and caregiver. Effective immediately, Intelecare will no longer offer premium subscription levels but rather offer our full suite of solutions at no charge. And what’s more, your Intelecare Online account will permit you to access your membership account through our iPad and iPhone Editions, scheduled to be released in April. We believe your information should be able to be accessed that way it makes the most sense to you.

If you previously had a Basic membership, we have already upgraded your account. Plus and Platinum members, we have cancelled your monthly subscription payment as of today. There is nothing to do except rediscover your Intelecare account and enjoy your added features.

This is just the beginning of the very exciting 2010. And I mean very! Stay tuned…

Be well,

Kevin J. Aniskovich
President & Chief Executive Officer

Ryan Haight Online Pharmacy Consumer Protection Act to Become Law

10/17/2008 , 10:04 AM by Alex Sicre

President Bush signed the Ryan Haight Online Pharmacy Protection Act(H.R. 6353) on October 15th making it a law. Congrats to this administration for seeing this act through.

Most people believe that online pharmacies are scams selling fake or illegal pills at high rates for ED, and oxycontin. With the passing of this law, hopefully more legitimacy will be given to online pharmacies in the public view.

Also helping to make online pharmacies more respected are Health 2.0 companies like eDrugSearch which “brings together the world’s most highly respected online pharmacies through a comprehensive, easy-to-use search engine.”

They vet all the pharmacies their search engine queries and also provide “up-to-the-minute price search, detailed drug information, and other advanced features that make it the premier portal for online prescription medication shoppers. Our advanced search features enable members to identify pharmacies with specific licensing requirements, third-party accreditations, Better Business Bureau memberships, and more.”

eDrugSearch’s founder, Cary Byrd, an impassioned advocate of safe online pharmacies, wrote a great summary of the Ryan Haight Online Pharmacy Protection Act’s provisions last month on his blog.

Here is the condensed version. Thanks again to Cary for for the succinct write-up.

- Amends the Controlled Substances Act to prohibit the delivery, distribution, or dispensing of controlled substances over the Internet without a valid prescription. Exempts telemedicine practitioners.

- Defines “valid prescription” as a prescription that is issued for a legitimate purpose by a practitioner who has conducted at least one in-person medical evaluation of the patient.

- Adds definitions to the Controlled Substances Act relating to online pharmacies and the issuance of prescriptions over the Internet.

- Imposes registration and reporting requirements on online pharmacies.

- Authorizes the Attorney General to issue a special registration under this Act for telemedicine practitioners.

- Increases criminal penalties involving controlled substances in Schedules II, IV, and V of the Controlled Substances Act.

- Authorizes states to apply for injunctions or obtain damages and other civil remedies against online pharmacies that are deemed a threat to state residents.

Patients have cited access to medications as being a barrier for medication adherence. If you have trouble getting your meds and affording them, look to online resources like eDrugSearch to provide you with the best prices and services that will deliver you scripts to your door.

I hate to sound like an advert, but with the economy the way it is, medications should not be sacrificed in this dire time, and there are less expensive alternatives than going to your local pharmacy. I am all for supporting small, locally owned businesses (we go to a druggist in Southport where my wife got penny candy as a girl), however one’s health and medication regime come first – if you cannot afford to pay for small town service, look for alternatives.

Airborne to Pay Millions In Lawsuit

08/15/2008 , 11:31 AM by Alex Sicre

So here is the question: if something works for you (like Airborne) but is proven to have no scientific evidence of its effects, do you continue to take it?

When I was a senior in high school, through my sophomore year in college, I used Echinacea at the first sign of anything. I don’t really know if it worked, but it sort of made me feel better about myself – that I was taking action.

Over Christmas 2007 I became very ill with a fever for a few days (my mother brought a bug from Michigan), and a friend told me to take Airborne. He travels a lot and swears by it. I took it for awhile, but didn’t necessarily see the value or get any qualified results.

Here are some quotes from today’s Washington Post Article, Airborne Coughs Up Millions to Settle Suitby Annis Shyn:

“There is no credible evidence that Airborne products . . . will reduce the severity or duration of colds, or provide any tangible benefit for people who are exposed to germs in crowded places,” said Lydia Parnes, director of the Federal Trade Commission’s Bureau of Consumer Protection, which filed a complaint against Airborne’s makers.”

“Airborne, however, when used as directed does not prevent class-action lawsuits, charges of deceptive advertising — or, according to the government, the common cold.”

“Under a settlement announced yesterday, the privately held Airborne Health, based in Bonita Springs, Fla., will add $6.5 million to funds it has already agreed to pay to settle a related class-action lawsuit. That suit, which alleged that Airborne falsely claimed its products could cure or prevent colds, was settled earlier this year for $23.5 million.

Consumers who bought Airborne products between 2001 and 2008 have until Sept. 15 to apply for a refund for as many as six purchases, the FTC said. Claims will be paid by Oct. 15, 2008, the company said in a statement.”

“Even if Airborne isn’t doing anything for you, believing it helps,” said microbiologist Stephanie Scovel-Toney, 28, of Fredericksburg.

“It may be mental, but it works for me,” said Robin Roane, 46, manager of an Alexandria nonprofit. “I can’t tell you the last time I had a cold.”

COMMENTS
So back to my question: if it works for you, but has no scientific proof, do you continue to take it? I believe that if a medication or supplement makes you feel better and does not do any harm (ie. Vicodin makes me feel better but is addictive), why not? There was a study that showed an expensive placebo had better results than a “generic” placebo in a trial. People thought they were taking a brand drug, and judged its effectiveness by the price.

Granted the Airborne lawsuit is over packaging and false claims: “It’s important to note that this is a settlement over older advertising and labeling, and has nothing to do with public safety,” said Airborne chief executive Elise Donahue. “We’ve offered a money-back guarantee for our products since 1997, and we have millions of satisfied customers. A class-action lawsuit sparked this matter. We’re just one of many major consumer brands across America that are under assault by class-action lawyers.”

So there it is. Airborne always has offered a money back guarantee and has millions of happy customers (sales were $100M in 2004 after an Oprah appearance).

So is this lawsuit frivolous? Do those who feel fleeced deserve their money back – sure, the company offers a guarantee on the label.

Should those that love Airborne continue to take it? Sure, if it makes them feel like they are preventing a cold, why not?

Should a doctor prescribe or recommend Airborne – definitely not.

I do not take any medications or supplements that don’t have proven results, ie. my cholesterol pills. I get blood work done, see my cholesterol level drop, I know the pills work. I have a cold, I drink chicken soup, I get better, I know it works. Just kidding.

Atlanta Lawyer with DR-TB in Recovery

07/31/2007 , 11:39 AM by Alex Sicre

I found this in the Gainesville Times over the weekend written by Debbie GIlbert. It doesn’t really focus on adherence, but it goes with my TB strand from before. The best adherence is the supervised therapy, but it only is the case with these types of diseases in the US.

Andrew Speaker, the Atlanta attorney who set off an international panic when he flew on commercial airplanes after being diagnosed with drug-resistant tuberculosis, now is living in Hall County, at least temporarily. But health officials say there’s no reason for local folks to worry.

“Patients with TB, once they’re past the contagious stage, are not a threat to anyone’s health,” said Dave Palmer, spokesman for District 2 Public Health in Gainesville. “But if they quit taking the medication, it’s possible for them to become contagious again.”

Speaker spent two months at a Denver hospital, where he underwent surgery July 17 to remove an infected lobe of his lung. He was released from the hospital Thursday, with orders to take antibiotics for two years to eliminate the infection.

Because TB is so difficult to cure, public health rules require patients to undergo directly observed therapy. They must report to their local health department every day, where a staff member watches them take their medication.

Speaker took his first dose at the Hall County Health Department Friday morning. Palmer said Georgia law allows patients to be on a five-day dosing schedule so they don’t have to take the medicine on weekends when the department is closed.

April Majors, spokeswoman for the Fulton County Department of Health and Wellness, has said Speaker eventually intends to return to Fulton County, where he would then report to the department there for treatment.

Speaker apparently is spending time in Hall while he continues to recuperate from his surgery. Palmer said he does not know how long Speaker plans to stay. Even if Palmer did know, he said federal privacy laws would prohibit him from disclosing any information.

Palmer added that he did not know whether the health department is taking any special precautions to prevent Speaker from being recognized, since images of the attorney have been widely circulated in the media.

Though Speaker may be one of the most famous patients the Hall County Health Department has ever had, Palmer said his treatment regimen is not unusual.

“We’ve had other TB patients in District 2 who needed supervised therapy,” Palmer said.

In the 13 Northeast Georgia counties comprising District 2, there are currently six patients with active TB, he said.

Palmer said patient compliance is typically not a problem.

“Most people work with us because they want to get well,” he said. “If they move to another county, they’re pretty up-front about notifying us.”

Because of the importance of nonstop treatment in TB cases, Palmer said health officials are vigilant about monitoring the patient’s whereabouts.

“If the patient stops coming in for treatment, the staff tries to locate that person and will even go to their home if necessary,” he said. “We try to make sure people are where they’re supposed to be when they’re supposed to be.”