The Official Medtipster Blog

Qualitest Pharmaceuticals, an oral contraceptive manufacturer, has announced a recall of several varieties of birth control pills due to a packaging error. The card used to track dosage is misaligned and may result in women taking the hormone-free “filler” pills on days when they should be taking active pills. If you are taking Cyclafem 777, Cyclafem 1/35, Emoquette, Gildess FE 1.5/30, Gildess 1/20, Orsythia, Previfem or Tri-Previfem – contact your pharmacy.

What should my blood sugar be??

You and your doctor will determine what your target blood sugar levels should be after some testing and properly answered questions about your diet, exercise, and any medications you are on.

For people without Diabetes, according to many doctors and experts, blood sugar levels should be:

Between 70 and 120 mg/ dL

For people with Type 2 Diabetes:

• Fasting (not eating for a suggested period of time): up to 130 mg/dL
• After most meals: less than 200 mg/dL
  

Why should I check my blood sugar?

Learning how to monitor your own blood sugar levels with a meter is a good thing to do. It helps you see how food, physical activity, and medicine affect your blood sugar levels. The readings can help you manage your Type 2 Diabetes day by day or even hour by hour. Make sure you keep a record of your results for your doctor to review.

How do I test my own blood sugar?

Consult with your doctor or pharmacist for proper technique when using the machine. Be sure you know how to test your blood sugar levels the correct way. There are many different meters out there, choose the one that makes most sense to you and recommended by either your doctor or pharmacist.

How often should I check my blood sugar levels?

Self blood sugar tests are usually done before meals, after meals, and/or at bedtime. Ask your doctor when and how often you need to check your blood sugar. Your doctor may recommend more or less than average readings.

If I test my own blood sugar levels, do I still need the A1C test?

Yes. An A1C is a 3 month average of your blood sugar levels. Therefore you cannot cheat on this test. The results of both the blood sugar tests that you do yourself and A1C tests help you and your doctor get a complete picture of your control of Type 2 Diabetes.

Visit www.medtipster.com to find a pharmacy/mini clinic in your neighborhood offering low cost Hemoglobin A1C tests!

Pfizer has recalled over 150,000 bottles of Lipitor because of a musty smelling odor.  If you have a prescription for Lipitor and they have a strange odor, return them to the pharmacy where they were dispensed.  http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm228998.htm

Please send your caption ideas for the photo below to contact@medtipster.com with “Create a caption” in the subject line.

Winners will receive a $100.00 gift card to one of the following Pharmacy supporters, Kmart, Kroger or Walmart. Winner’s choice.  Winner selected monthly by www.Medtipster.com.

In this photo, Medtipster President Jason Klein (right) speaks with Compuware President, Peter Karmanos (left).

www.Medtipster.com Source: DrugStoreNews.com, 5.4.2010 – Allison Cerra

A Southern California supermarket chain is offering free prenatal vitamins to expectant mothers this month.

In line with Pregnancy Awareness Month, Stater Bros.’ said its Super Rx Pharmacy will offer prenatal vitamins to those with a doctor’s prescription. Quantities must be written for a thirty-day supply and not to exceed 30 tablets. The free prenatal vitamin program will feature the generic version of these well-known brands:

• Advanced Natal Care
• Natal Care Glosstabs
• Nata Tab Rx
• Natal Care Plus
• Prenavite
• Ultra Natal Care

This initiative is one of several Stater Bros. has offered its customers. The supermarket chain also offers a free antibiotic program and $4 generic prescription drug program.

“Stater Bros. remains committed to the health and well-being of our valued customers,” stated Jack Brown, Stater Bros. chairman and CEO.  “As the only supermarket chain in Southern California to offer this program free of charge, Stater Bros. is proud to promote the health of mothers-to-be while easing some of the economic burden that many of our valued customers are facing.”

Vist www.Medtipster.com to locate the Stater Bros. Pharmacy nearest you offering free prenatal vitamins.

Medtipster.com, the user friendly prescription drugs search engine for consumers, has launched a doctor specific search site to help locate generic drugs for patients.

When you visit your doctor, many times you leave with a prescription that needs to be filled immediately. Doctors care about their patients’ health – yet now they can show more care and concern by helping patients locate the cheapest prescriptions available.

“We want doctors to inform their patients how they can save on drugs, and support the use of generic drugs, at the same time,” says Jason Klein, President of Medtipster.com. Medtipster.com is the online search engine for consumers to locate cheap prescription drugs at a pharmacy near them, with most drugs available on a $4 generic program.

The newly launched Doctor Medtipster has functions separate from the consumer site. While the consumer site will promote immunization, health screenings and mini-clinic searches, the doctor site will not. “We know that doctors have a client base, and certainly don’t want to promote these types of services to those who are not looking for them,” Klein says. “We want doctors to use our site and understand that we want the best options for the patients, just as they do.”

This is the main reason Medtipster.com launched in early 2009, to give consumers a choice when it comes to healthcare. With the average brand name prescription cost of $93.00, the website’s focus is choosing generic drugs. The new “doctor appealing” website will help doctors encourage their patients to save on prescriptions. With nearly all doctor’s offices using internet and innovative technology, doctors can now find where their patients’ newly written prescriptions are available as generic drugs before the patient leaves the office. While generic drugs are the bioequivalent of a brand name drug, doctors often encourage patients to buy generic drugs when possible.

Medtipster.com is quickly earning its reputation for helping consumers find the cheapest prescriptions available right in their neighborhood. It plans to earn the same reputation with doctors, giving them the tool they need to help their patients save on prescriptions before they leave the doctor’s office.

Many prescriptions are transmitted electronically, however, does this mean your privacy and safety are at risk? Or is this a safer, more secure and more beneficial method of prescribing medications?

With the age of technology and electronic, well, everything, we’re seeing a lot of changes in every day life, and in every day business. We’ve seen newspaper circulations drop, paper mail decrease, and who doesn’t have an email address or a home computer?

Your physician’s office most likely has an electronic version of your medical records by now, instead of the old school manilla folders. If not, trust me, it will happen sooner versus later. There are a lot of benefits to this method, the biggest being saving trees and helping the environment. Let’s take a closer look at how this may affect the one piece of paper you typically walk out the physician’s office door with – a prescription.

E-prescriptions are the same as the hand written prescription, only computer generated by your physician. The electronic prescription is sent directly to the pharmacy of your choice. Privacy has been a key concern for many patients with this change in how prescriptions are handled, however, rest assured that the network (transmitting) between your physician’s computer and your pharmacy is a secured and private route.

E-prescribing is more efficient and is faster in most cases. Most of the time, your prescription arrives at your pharmacy before you leave your doctor’s office. It doesn’t always mean it will be ready for you when you arrive, as sometimes pharmacies are busy or you arrive before the pharmacist has had time to fill the script. But, you won’t be waiting around the pharmacy or having to leave and come back. Plus the risk of errors with traditional hand written prescriptions is almost obsolete with e-prescriptions.

Also, remember that all e-prescriptions meet the requirements of Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). Your medical history has always contained the record of your prescription, and it being electronic or hand written makes no difference. All medical and prescription information is protected by federal and state laws.

If you have questions about your prescription, your physician or pharmacist will be able to address your concerns. Specific questions about e-prescriptions can be answered by either professional as well. Remember if you’re unsure which pharmacy has your prescription at the lowest cost available, tell your exit nurse at your physician’s office to use Medtipster.com to find the pharmacy to transmit your e-prescription.

Every prescription listed below is available on a discount generic program at a pharmacy near you. Medtipster.com is your one stop shop to locate these, and thousands of other prescriptions, for as little as $4, or less!

Norvasc

Norvasc: 10 mg

Consumer Price – 100 tablets: $188.29

Cost of General Active Ingredients: $0.14

Percent Markup: 134,493%

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Paxil

Paxil: 20 mg

Consumer Price – 100 tablets: $220.27

Cost of General Active Ingredients: $7.60

Percent Markup: 2,898%

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Prozac

Prozac: 20 mg

Consumer Price – 100 tablets: $247.47

Cost of General Active Ingredients: $0.11

Percent Markup: 224,973%

_______________________________________________________________________

Tenormin

Tenormin: 50 mg

Consumer Price – 100 tablets: $104.47

Cost of General Active Ingredients: $0.13

Percent Markup: 80,362%

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Vasotec

Vasotec: 10 mg

Consumer Price – 100 tablets: $102.37

Cost of General Active Ingredients: $0.20

Percent Markup: 51,185%

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Xanax

Xanax: 1 mg

Consumer Price – 100 tablets: $136.79

Cost of General Active Ingredients: $0.024

Percent Markup: 569,958%

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Zestril

Zestril: 20 mg

Consumer Price – 100 tablets: $89.89

Cost of General Active Ingredients: $3.20

Percent Markup: 2,809%

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Zithromax

Zithromax: 600 mg

Consumer Price – 100 tablets: $1,482.19

Cost of General Active Ingredients: $18.78

Percent Markup: 7,892%

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Zoloft

Zoloft: 50 mg

Consumer Price: $206.87

Cost of General Active Ingredients: $1.75

Percent Markup: 11,821%

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Now more than ever, with healthcare costs at at all time high, and little relief in sight for so many who struggle with affording medications, we encourage you to share this information with your family and friends.

And remember, Medtipster.com has up to date information on health screenings, immunizations, mini-clinics, and of course, prescription drugs at the lowest cost available.

Nádia - your personal pharmacy cost adviser

GlaxoSmithKline is suspending the use of 170,000 doses of its new H1N1 influenza vaccine in Canada. This is due to a higher-than-usual rate of reported side effects potentially linked to the vaccine.

Potential side effects were rooted from allergic reactions suffered by six people that experienced breathing difficulties and reduced blood pressure in the Canadian province of Manitoba. Side effects are very common for any medication, with a typical ratio of 1.5 : 170,000. It has been reported that all six recovered after a short time.

Flu Shots in the United States are unaffected and are still highly recommended by the AMA and CDC.

Find a flu shot closest to your home at medtipster.com.