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My wife takes a small, daily pill to control her blood pressure. (It's probably either take that pill or else get rid of me!)
Anyway, she remarked on how sweet it tasted, and the list of ingredients includes a sweetener. That made me think. Surely such pills, which are swallowed with water anyway, should be given a bitter taste, so that if a child managed to get hold of the packet it wouldn't think they were sweets?
Children's medications that are sweetened are one thing, but I really feel that by law all adult medications that are in pill form should not be sweetened.

Petter 9 Apr 20
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the two prescription medicines i have to take here in australia have an unpleasantly bitter taste.

Well at least no child is going to overdose on them.

2

Petter, the pharmaceutical industry in the US works in strange and mysterious ways. Whatever they do is profit driven and scientifically proven to benefit their own bottom line. Add to that a stamp of approval from the FDA when they have the resources and I'm sure adding a sweetener, if it doesn't chemically alter the effect of the other meds, is not something evaluated? Obviously I don't have a favorable view of either. Are there guidelines and oversight for pharmaceutical manufacturing in Spain? Is there pharm manufacturing in Spain?

There are both, but prices are usually realistic, as the Spanish government is sympathetic to the marketing of generic drugs, and their use by the Spanish health service.

For example, Enalapril, the drug to control blood pressure, is available over the counter at our local chemist for 2€ ($2.50) for a pack of 30 pills. Because we are "in the system", ie. we paid into the state social security system, we have always received out medications at 10% of the "over the counter" price. We also now draw a reasonable state pension.
I gather this is the type of "stuff" that your "great" "best" etc leader is determined to eliminate.

@Petter unfortunately, eliminate is the right word. our great leader is dismantling ALL of the government as we know it.What took years, decades of thoughtful debate from the best civic minded hearts and minds in our history to get safeguards in place (in every arena) that enhance our quality of life, this SOB is taking one year to take us to a third world country. He's a self-serving bastard. It looks as if the GOP is making plans to endorse another candidate in 2020. They are self-serving too. They could handle his behavior NOW but they think it's to their political benefit to kiss his ass. The whole thing is disgusting and disturbing that things could turn this quickly. We have an uninformed electorate.
oops...I got up on a soapbox.

@crazycurlz Keep spouting. You would do well in the Hyde Park speaker's corner, London. 🙂

@Petter uh oh...sounds like it's for fanatics or crazy people. hmmm...as my name implies, Ii guess. lol I will check it out for kicks

@crazycurlz You're supposed to go there, stand on a box, and harangue the crowd. Or wander round, barracking the speakers. It's a wonderful way to pass a sunny, Sunday afternoon. I don't know what its like these days, I haven't visited central London for ages.

@Petter our college campuses used to allow for that too...

@crazycurlz How wonderful. But do they still? Free speech is important. Here in Spain it is quite common to see two or three people disagreeing, whilst buying each other a drink. Ever since the 1939 civil war, when brother fought against brother, and father against son, the Spanish have had a healthy respect for the right of others to hold a different opinion - and express it freely.

2

Big Pharma wants you to enjoy taking pills so you will take them and keep on buying them.

Totally. And I think they come up with slight improvements on those meds regularly for two reasons: 1. so consumers will believe the new med is new and improved and continue to make new purchases (marketing ploy) and 2. to saturate the market so thoroughly that the FDA can't keep up with regulating everything and they make money off of placebos and WORSE that they're able to get to market without review.
People at the top are lacking ethically and morally

It really irks me that the same drugs are cheaper in foreign countries. @crazycurlz

@nicknotes agree. and it irks me that we haven't yet figured out how to shackle the insurance companies either. let me restate that. Our government officials (not all, musn't generalize) are in the pockets of the lobbyists. It's as simple as that. When we all get wise and stop fighting eachother, then progress. I'm a realist and this could swing either way. But it's not looking good.

@crazycurlz Another reason why they come up with "slight improvements" is to extend the life of the patent, thus legally allowing them to continue to charge exhorbitant prices for an old medication.

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