Ok, some stupid people make my job as a mother so much harder than it really needs to be. Those people are criminals and lawmakers. I'm not sure that is two different classes of people or if you lump them all into one big pile.
Today, I went to my lovely grocery store pharmacy and tried to get over the counter medication for some children in my house who are not feeling too well. The box of decongestant that I wanted was store brand (much, much cheaper--50% cheaper and that was before the sale price) and it had 48 pills in it so that it would last us longer than a day. After I walked down the medication isle and grabbed two tickets, I proceeded with my shopping. Went through the checkout lane and was told I had to go to the pharmacy. That should have been a warning bell! I should have given the tickets back to the lady and said, "Thanks, but no thanks."
The line was long. Seems like everyone in Redmond has something going on inside them that needed to be fixed today.
Got to the pharmacy counter and asked someone, whose first language wasn't English and couldn't understand me, how many of these boxes I could legally buy today and how long I had to wait to buy more. Of course we had to pull another pharmacy helper over to answer my questions--remember English isnt' her first language. Answer: I can by only one pill for the rest of my life, so iI better make it a good one.
Looks like in a month I can buy 96 pills (2 boxes of 48) and that is it. (WHAT? Wait, I have EIGHT people in my house. I guess we start rationing pills. I wonder how many Nintendo DS's I can collect. Maybe I can get a few Webkinzs as well.)
So I asked, "What does a family with more than one person do in a case like this?"
"Go to your doctor and get a prescription."
WHOA! Wait the last time I went to a family doctor for a check up my kids came down sick! I don't go unless I'm on my death bed because whoever goes in comes out worse--even with the prescription. Not only that, you know the wasted time sitting in a doctor's office? I've been doing it for over five years and I don't even want to begin to count the hours I've spent waiting for doctors and therapist.
The lady comes back and tells me that they are out of the 48 count box, but they have the expensive brand. (Well, DUH, no one wants to fork over an extra 50% for a brand name.) I told her no, I can't afford the expensive box. She then tells me they have the 24 count box, but only one. (Ok, that will last me into the next day or so. Maybe I should call Steve and have him hit another pharmacy.)
I tell her to go get it and my family will just pharmacy hop to get the rest. (Let the drug police come get me, I've got nothing to hide and maybe they will get the flu that the rest of the family has; that will show them!)
Before she walks away she tells me I need to fill out this form. I have to give my address, phone, birth date and my name. (I hope I wrote sloppy enough you can't read it.)
She comes back with the little box with the pills in the bubble forms that you can't get out. YIPPEE! I'm just thrilled. Now I get to fight with the stupid "safety packaging" in the middle of the night.)
The pharmacist come over and starts chatting with me. She told me that if I went to the doctor I could get a prescription for this. (I bite my tongue.)
She then told me that in Oregon you can't buy this over the counter. (I feel sorry for the moms just south of the Columbia River. I'm sure they can never find any pills in their pharmacies.)
She mentioned how sorry she was that a few idiots had to force laws like this on law abiding people. (I'm not sure she was talking about the idiots who make the laws or the people who do stupid things like take good drugs and cook them until they have bad drugs. I'll let this one pass.)
She then tells me that my husband can come in and buy some. (Ok, what good will that do? I just bought the last one. And if I hadn't purchased the last one wouldn’t the drug police notice two people at the same address buying dangerous drugs?)
She then goes on to tell me that the manufacturer of the drugs holds some back so the market isn't flooded with them and they can track them. (Oh, I feel so good doing my civic duty in giving them my address so they know exactly who is taking their drug. Just what I always wanted, my drug buying habits in a computer on someone's desk.)
Thankfully the little girl who doesn't speak English very well came back with my 24 count box. I feel better now. My children will sleep better tonight and maybe so will I.
OH, but wait, she needs to see my ID. She then writes down my driver's license number. (DANG! Now they can come find me. Serves them right when they go home with the flu, pink eye and our allergies.)
I swipe my credit card and the price is rung up. $2.71!
All that for TWO DOLLARS and SEVENTY ONE CENTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
But I'm not mad. NO! I'm just thankful that law makers and drug makers are looking out for the families of America who are law abiding families who just on the off chance come down with something.
Oh, and don't get me started on the fact that our allergy medication is now OTC (over the counter). I doesn't bother me that 8 people in our house take one pill of Zytec every day during allergy season (some year round since the molds won't go away). No not at all. I just figured it out; for my family to stay healthy I will have to shell out $200 (or more) a month for this wonder drug. Oh, and when we go to the allergist, you don't come home sick.
Oh, and should we talk about how Microsoft has taken away my ability to use my local pharmacy because they want us to use one in Las Vegas? Right, like they know me or care about me.
My rant is over. I feel better and now can go prepare a healthy dinner for those in our family who aren't throwing up or too stuffed up to eat. Boy will I get to eat a LOT!