| Prilosec as Effective as Expensive Prescriptions, Study Finds
A widely available nonprescription drug -- Prilosec OTC -- is as effective a treatment for heartburn and acid reflux disease as prescription drugs costing almost 10 times more, according to an analysis from Consumer Reports Best Buy Drugs, a public education project of Consumers Union. "Many people with heartburn and acid reflux could save $1,000 to $2,000 a year by taking an over-the-counter drug that's just as effective as high-priced prescription drugs," said Gail Shearer, director of the project. "These are dramatic savings, and illustrate why consumers should talk to their doctors about identifying effective, lower-cost medicines," Shearer added. The over-the-counter drug Prilosec costs $19 to $26 a month on average nationwide, and can be even cheaper at large discount stores.
Do not doctor yourself
BLAME it on those doctors who overcharge, over-prescribe, and order excessive diagnostic tests. Or hospitals, especially government ones, where one waits ages for an appointment. Or the explosion of medical info reliable or otherwise on the Internet. Or, the folly of people who feel experience has taught them enough to doctor oneself or others. And,our lack of an organised medical-care system. Whatever the reasons, the alarming trend of self-medication is increasing, say doctors. Especially for colds, coughs, headaches, digestive problems, muscle aches, small wounds, anxiety, insomnia, weakness/debility. Alternative to the doctor Many people consider self-treatment with over-the-counter (OTC) medicines a hassle-free, cost-and-time saving alternative to visiting the doctor. And any temporary relief they find only reinforces this habit.
Center Treatment Helps Relieve Acid Reflux
Ervin Monroe's heartburn was so bad at times that he thought he might be having a heart attack. Every day, acid from his stomach seeped up into his esophagus and even into his mouth. "My acid reflux got so bad that I couldn't drink sodas, because they would burn my tongue, and I could hardly even drink water," says Monroe, who lives in Lillington. Monroe is a longtime member of the Mighty Sons of Faith gospel group, but his voice wasn't sounding so mighty because of the acid that irritated his throat.
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New gift ban law may bar college scholarships
Dozens, if not hundreds, of Colorado students - many of them low-income - are in jeopardy of losing major college scholarships because of the new gift-ban law known as Amendment 41. Administrators at the Boettcher Foundation and the Daniels Fund, who award the state's largest and most prestigious private scholarships, say a large percentage of their student finalists have close relatives who are state or local government workers. Daniels Fund officials say many of those candidates will no longer receive scholarships unless lawmakers exempt such awards. Boettcher Foundation hasn't decided what to do. Up to half of the 72 finalists for the full-ride Boettcher scholarships - and as many as half of the 160 students currently receiving those funds - could lose aid if the law is interpreted in the strictest fashion, said Tim Schultz, president and executive director of the Boettcher Foundation.
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