The Goverment So Cheap

[SP4RVN1971]

First I want to say I'm thankful for anything the World gives, the goverment so cheap to give the mg sizes larger so you have cut your med's in half.

I don't mind breaking my pills. The pills don't have a break line on them.

So when break a pill you could be getting more or not enough! Cheap Cheap and did I say Cheap.

Yes, I have a pill cutter. It's still cheap

[carlie]

If a medication IS NOT SCORED - it is not supposed to be split.

UPDATED INFORMATION FOR

VA TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT PROGRAM (VATAP)

REPORTS

http://www.va.gov/VATAP/docs/TabletSplitting2000tagm.pdf

"PBM reported to TAP that its primary concern in the

draft was protection of patient safety.

The draft lists tablets that cannot be divided as: non-scored sustained

release preparations; enteric-coated tablets; and tablets

that crumble easily."

[Pete53]

You can request that your PCP ask pharmacy not to require pill splitting. Reasons not to split are pills are no regular but shaped funny. Small pills and splitter damages them. Lack od compliance for whatever reason.

I think it is wrong for VA to require any Veteran to split pills but that is my opinion. I know that I don't do it

[SP4RVN1971]

Your so right Carlie,

My first pill they gave me Carvedilol 25mg, the Dr at VA new that I take 12.5mg . It said on the pill bottle take one-half by mouth twice a day. the pill has no break point

The second simvastatin 80mg, the dr at VA new 40mg

It also in small letter at the bottom to take one-half tablet by mouth at bedtime No break points on the pills

If I did read this it could cause problem, or maybe not

I the Primary VA DOC next week.

I take alot of medicine, i don't need a f*** up

[SP4RVN1971]

You can request that your PCP ask pharmacy not to require pill splitting. Reasons not to split are pills are no regular but shaped funny. Small pills and splitter damages them. Lack od compliance for whatever reason.

I think it is wrong for VA to require any Veteran to split pills but that is my opinion. I know that I don't do it

Yes i decided to use VA for my medicine as long it the same as my privite doc's choice of pills, But when I got them the other day.

I almost took the pill and I notice the diff. size and loook again and saw the small print!

Edited February 6, 2012 by SP4RVN1971

[Chuck75]

The VA has been on the pill split kick for quite some time. In the past, they did not care if the pill was coated or not, scored or not.

One medication I take fell into the coated and no score category. My private prescribing physician said OK, we'll fix that, and doubled the daily dosage.

What griped me was that the VA got twice the copay for the number of pills, since 1/2 a pill was a "daily dosage", and actually paid the supplier about the same as they would have for the lower dosage.

The VA's scheme may have actually violated "terms of use" that drug mfrs can impose. Since it's the government, I guess they think that they can getaway with such things.

I once read that Medicade patients could not be required to "split" pills.

A statement in the VA document "Tablet splitting saved $100,000 annually for all patients using Simvastatin at San Juan VAMC" is misleading and incomplete.

What actually happens is that the VA pays 1/2 for a daily dosage, and charged the veterans co-pay for twice the normal amount of daily dosages. The VA collected

twice the normal copay from veterans that pay copay.

Edited February 7, 2012 by Chuck75