If this happens, you need to go to a hospital – an emergency room. Go there in any case – if you are injured, if you have a fever, if you have internal pains, etc. In the emergency department you will be seen by the doctor on duty, and then by the specialist on duty, who will give you the necessary care. If necessary, you will be hospitalized.
If you are unable to get to a hospital on your own, and you need immediate medical attention (difficulty breathing, heart attacks and other possible causes of death), call 911 for an ambulance. An ambulance will come to you and take you to the emergency room at the hospital, where doctors will take care of you.
Medications
Most drugs with a “name” on them are the same as those without a “name,” which are called “generic” or “generic” drugs. The difference in price can be anywhere from 20% to 800%. For example, the sedative medicine Valium costs US$21.79 in the United States, its counterpart, Diazepam, costs $7.99, the bacterial infection medicine Keflex costs $46.79, its “unnamed” analog – Cephalexin – costs $21.79, the relaxation medicinenderal – $18.49, its analog Propranolol $4.99, the muscle pain medicine Flexiril costs $25.79 and its analog – Cyclobenzaprine – US$20.49.
Canadian pharmacies sell drugs made in Canada, almost every one of which has a cheaper equivalent. Take my advice: When your doctor prescribes medicine, ask if it is possible to use generic. If the bad doctor does prescribe an expensive medicine with a “name”, ask the pharmacist the same question. Pharmacies are supposed to sell only the drugs listed on the prescription, but on rare occasions they can be incredibly understanding. Also, don’t hesitate to ask your doctor if he or she has the drug prescribed for you himself or herself, as pharmaceutical companies often supply doctors with free samples of medications as an advertisement for their product.
If you are prescribed a long course of treatment, buy drugs in large packages – it is cheaper by 25-30%. For example, a package of 100 aspirin tablets costs US$8.99 and a package of the same aspirin 50 tablets costs US$5.99. In the first case you pay 9 cents per pill, and in the second – 12 cents. Such savings are unusual for Russians. In contrast, residents of the United States and Canada are advised to count the number of pills and compare it to the number indicated on the package. Also note that there are discounts for seniors when purchasing medications at pharmacies. Remind both your doctor and pharmacist about this.
Like food, the same medicine costs differently in different stores. Drug Mart specialty pharmacies have the highest prices, stores like Saveway or London Drugs have slightly lower prices, and Super Stores have even lower prices. The above-mentioned drugs have the following price differences (in U.S. dollars) in these stores: Cyclobenzaprine costs US$14.83 in the Superstore, and 15.60 in Saveway; in the specialty store, i.e. the drugstore, it costs $17.80. i.e., in the pharmacy, 17.45: Diazepam, 5.66, 5.10; 10.90, respectively; Flexiril, 20.53; 20.40; 23.10: Keflex, 40.98; 38.45; 45.17; Valium, 16.98; 16.05; 29.84. Although these data are taken from U.S. examples, the situation is the same in Canada.
