[RossA]

I would like to have an emergency supply of drugs which might not be available if (when) the bad times come. I'm thinking specifically of different antibiotics, maybe Tamiflu, etc.
Two questions:
1. Which medications would you want to have available if there were no doctors/pharmacies around to go to?
2. What online sources are good for obtaining these meds? I have found a lot of online pharmacies, but they usually have generics instead of brand name drugs. I have read a lot on the net by people who have ordered some of these and say that they aren't really getting quality, full dose meds.

 

[RossA]

Wow! 214 views and no response? Someone has to have some ideas about obtaining what could be life saving drugs.

 

[The_Blob]

I would like to have an emergency supply of drugs which might not be available if (when) the bad times come. I'm thinking specifically of different antibiotics, maybe Tamiflu, etc.
Two questions:
1. Which medications would you want to have available if there were no doctors/pharmacies around to go to?
2. What online sources are good for obtaining these meds? I have found a lot of online pharmacies, but they usually have generics instead of brand name drugs. I have read a lot on the net by people who have ordered some of these and say that they aren't really getting quality, full dose meds.

Wow! 214 views and no response? Someone has to have some ideas about obtaining what could be life saving drugs.

Well, considering the tone of your original post was anti-generic-drug, I really have no advice to give you, since that is what I predominantly deal in & have never personally experienced any problem with them.

I personally recommend the $4/$10 (for either 30/90 days) prescription services of Giant Eagle, Sam's Club, or CostCo; whichever is most readily accessible to you:

http://i.walmartimages.com/i/if/hmp/fusion/customer_list.pdf

 

[Canadian]

You need a prescription that needs to be filled out by a health care provider. You can't just go and buy lots of antibiotics. The easiest way will be to get your doctor to write you a script. If he's honest and you're not sick he won't do it. You'll have to find a dishonest doctor to write you a bogus script.

It's probably not worth while as antibiotics are incredibly expensive and they have a relatively short shelf life. You'd be putting a lot of dollars into those expiry dates.

Generic drugs are chemically the same as the original brand. If people say they are not getting the same effect how are they measuring this? It's probably a bit of the placebo effect. Generics have to pass FDA testing and contain the exact same active ingredients as the original brand. Most will be the exact same concentration of active ingredients as well. Just check the box.

It is the inactive ingredients such as binders etc. that make the generic look and taste different. They work exactly the same. I'd wait until you get sick in order to get antibiotics.

 

[RossA]

Sorry if the tone of my first post was offensive, I didn't mean it to be. I was just reporting what I have read.
As far as generics having the same active ingredients as name brand meds, that's only true if they are legitimate generics. I have personally seen and read online about meds ordered from Canadian pharmacies, and the "generics" which arrived were sent directly from India. No telling if any government agency there monitored the quality of the
meds", or if they even had any of the active ingredient in them. If the generic came from a legitimate American or Canadian producer I would have more confidence, but when you get a batch of pills from who knows where, you have to question what's in them.
I know that there are lower cost pharmacies like Costco, but you have to have a prescription to go there. Unless you find a doctor who shares our preparedness philosophy and who will write multiple prescriptions in advance, you can't go to a regular pharmacy.

 

[The_Blob]

The main reason that anti-biotics are 'relatively hard' to get anymore is that for the past 20 years (perhaps longer) people have been abusing them &/or misusing them & the creation of 'superbugs' has become a viable concern now. Usually when I do get manufactured meds I use all the prescription refills before the time limit for them is usually up & then get another prescription, I've even conveniently 'lost' medicines & gotten new prescriptions that way. NOT that I'm telling you to do any of these morally ambiguouos activities...

Supposedly the shelf life of antibiotics on average is 2 years, which is about the same as what is listed for most OTC medicines (pain relievers, decongestants, etc etc) these times are based on an asumption of an avg temp of 70 degree F (20 degree C) medicine cabinet for storage & the med losing 10% 'effective potency'. I do not know off the top of my head how much refrigeration would extend this, but I assume it would be somewhat significant manner.

Creating your own penicillin isn't that difficult, my grandmother used to do it, but then again I do have some surplus laboratory equipment and a modicum of training/experience (I know how to isolate porcine insulin if we really retreat to a modern 'dark ages'); also, I'm pretty sure the legality of telling you how to do it is a 'grey' area that I won't submit myself or this website to.

 

[Canadian]

RossA - Don't buy illegal drugs of any kind. Street or prescription. If you obtain generics from a legitimate source they are just as effective as the original brand. When you deal with an "illegal" source for anything you cannot be assured of any kind of quality.

 

[RossA]

That's why I'm asking here. I'm sure there has to be a reputable Canadian pharmacy that sells legitimate drugs online. With all of the online pharmacies, I just don't know which one to use.

 

[TechAdmin]

You can get whatever you want in Mexico. Girl in our group had a UTI and went to the pharmacy. They just ask you what you wanted, no fake Dr. or anything.

We told them, they looked in a book for the translation and sold it.

 

[ke4sky]

Discuss with your health care provider

Here are some good references:

http://www.cdc.gov/aging/pdf/disaster_planning_goal.pdf

CDC Natural Disasters | Keep It With You: Personal Medical Information Form

"Following a disaster, chronic illness can easily worsen due to lack of food and water, extreme heat or cold, stress and exposure to infection [Bierman, 2001; Fernandez, 2002; Menotti, 2001; Mudur, 2005]. Following Hurricane Katrina, more than 200,000 people with chronic medical conditions, who were displaced by the storm or isolated by the flooding, had no access to their usual medications and usual sources of care [White House, 2006]. Even those who brought the recommended three-day supply of medications to a shelter ran out of pills. "If people who are evacuated do not have the medications that have kept their diabetes stable or their breathing problem stable, in three days some of them could have exacerbations that require emergency management. That is the basic message we are trying to convey,"

The best advice is to discuss your emergency planning needs with your health care provider. At minimum each person should maintain a current hardcopy of their basic personal medical information which includes emergency contact information, allergies, current medications, prescribing physician name and contact numbers, active diagnoses, chronic conditions and any medical alert information.

Ask if it is possible to to have your prescriptions filled so that you keep a 90 day supply on hand. When you travel keep prescription meds in their original containers with prescribing physician, and pharmacy Rx numbers legible.

 

[pills]

This might help.

Antibiotics - Non Prescription - Lambert Vet Supply

 

[RossA]

This might help.

Antibiotics - Non Prescription - Lambert Vet Supply

Now THAT looks promising! I assume that ampicillin, or any of the other drugs, are the same antibiotics that are prescribed for people?

 

[Canadian]

I highly suggest that drugs and medical equipment that are used on animals should not be used on humans. In an emergency when there is nothing else to use this may be the only course of action. I do not recommend doing this as a planned course of action.

 

[RossA]

Canadian, I can understand that logic, but if certain drug, say ampicillin, is the same, then why would it hurt to use "animal" ampicillin on humans?

 

[Canadian]

I work with physicians on a regular basis and can say with confidence that supplies and equipment used on animals are not the same as those for humans.

Hey, it's your body. Do whatever you want. I'm just saying you'd do well not to advise anyone to take this course of action unless there is no alternative available.

 

[RossA]

I work with physicians on a regular basis and can say with confidence that supplies and equipment used on animals are not the same as those for humans.

Hey, it's your body. Do whatever you want. I'm just saying you'd do well not to advise anyone to take this course of action unless there is no alternative available.

I'm no doctor, and I don't play one on this website. I don't give medical advice to anyone. I do, however, try to raise legitimate issues about things which could save lives when the SHTF.
I asked a legitimate question of you since you since you appeared to have some knowledge on the subject.
You said that the meds are not the same. OK, if that's the case as it may well be, how can they mark them with the same name? I would think that the government would be pretty controlling about things like calling a med by a name that truly isn't correct.
If I already knew these things I wouldn't ask.
Also, you have said not to use "veterinary" meds on people. Fine, got any alternatives? I don't intend to be empty handed when the bad times come. It's one thing to knock down someone else's idea, but how about a viable alternative?

 

[Canadian]

The pet medications contain many impurities and additives that are dangerous for humans. They may be the same chemical but the concentration varies. Use of pet medication in humans can cause illness or death.

The best solution is to use human medication on humans. If you ask enough doctors to write you a script for antibiotics someone will be willing to do it. There's always someone who is willing to bend the rules.

Have you even asked your doctor about antibiotics? I'd at least as one real physician to write you a script before you start stockpiling pet medications.

 

[SurvivalNut]

Folk Medicines

The pet medications contain many impurities and additives that are dangerous for humans. They may be the same chemical but the concentration varies. Use of pet medication in humans can cause illness or death.

Hello Canadian, I read an OLD news post that the Canadian Government was going to regulate advertising and quality of Natural and Herbals under the grouping "Folk Medicine".

Did they attach some credibility to these formulae or just regulate the advertising and taxation?

I ask because I am taking a local class soon and am studying local plants trying to learn to identify "folk" remedies rather than try to stockpile expensive drugs that will be useless or unavailable one day anyway. Learn the alternative now and pull it from the hip pocket later.

Anyway are our Northern neighbors ahead of us or was it just some legislative paperwork?

 

[Canadian]

Most Canadians were mad about the proposed legislation because it was an attempt by big pharma to push natural and herbal medicines out of the market. Most of the large pharma companies produce their own lines of natural supplements etc. They are the only ones with enough money to meet all of the proposed regulations. Small companies would be forced out of business. Many people favor naturals over conventional "medicine" and it takes a bite out of big pharmas profits. They figured if they could legislate natural stuff out of existence everyone would be forced to buy conventional drugs.

I lost track of what eventually happened. But all the normal health food brands are still out there so I guess it didn't go through.

 

[The_Blob]

I lost track of what eventually happened. But all the normal health food brands are still out there so I guess it didn't go through.

OR... they're already OWNED by Big Pharma...