Germany vs US, [1 - Pharmacies]
Jul. 14th, 2022 01:52 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
izardGermany, Munich: doctor writes a prescription, you go to any pharmacy you like (if you see a big line in one, you can just get to another one around the corner, maybe 2 minutes walking distance away). You pay a very small amount (~10-20 euros for 90% of common prescription medicine, sometimes 0), and you get a factory packed medicine that includes factory printed instructions. You unpack it and you are sure that you are the first human being touching it, it was all packed by a robot on a factory.
US, Portland: doctor writes a prescription and sends it to pharmacy of your choice. You can't (or it is difficult) to change your mind about pharmacy choice later. In the pharmacy, you pay slightly more than in Germany, but you get a receipt saying that the rest (few hundreds of dollars) was paid by your insurance. You also get a vial with medicines, hand-picked by pharmacist, along with instructions printed on the spot.
I understand that in US pharmacists never make errors, but in Germany there is simply no room for an error at the pharmacist level. Another difference is that in Germany pharmacist will consult you and suggest what can you buy from non-prescription medicines selection for your condition, and I think it is impossible in US.
US, Portland: doctor writes a prescription and sends it to pharmacy of your choice. You can't (or it is difficult) to change your mind about pharmacy choice later. In the pharmacy, you pay slightly more than in Germany, but you get a receipt saying that the rest (few hundreds of dollars) was paid by your insurance. You also get a vial with medicines, hand-picked by pharmacist, along with instructions printed on the spot.
I understand that in US pharmacists never make errors, but in Germany there is simply no room for an error at the pharmacist level. Another difference is that in Germany pharmacist will consult you and suggest what can you buy from non-prescription medicines selection for your condition, and I think it is impossible in US.
