The whole issue about receiving rewards points of any kind for prescription medications is back on the forefront.
As far as I understand it, health safety, integrity, and ethics are in question. I don't pretend to know and understand all of the reasoning behind removing rewards points... I am not involved in the decision making, and frankly I have a small voice (if any) as far as this issue is concerned - but here are my two cents:
- I am ill.
- I have been very ill for almost 14 years.
- My life is centered around doctors, medications, hospitals, emergency rooms, waiting rooms, diagnostic tests, bloodwork, health insurance... I talk to health care professionals every single day. Not by choice.
- I have been on serious medication since the age of 14. Some of these medications have helped. Some of them have, unfortunately, caused me more health complications - for which I need more medication. The medications that I am on have horrible side effects that affect every single part of my life. I will never be a person who can live without some form of medical intervention. (And for those wondering, yes I have tried going the Naturopath non-Western-Medicine route).
- I hate medication - but my health is severe enough that without medication, I would be facing a very slow, very painful, very antagonizing death.
Yes, I am biased, but frankly, the 'rewards points' that I receive from getting these prescriptions is a silver lining to a bleak situation. Similar to groceries - my meds are an inevitable and necessary expense - despite the fact that I have insurance. So let's compare it maybe to transportation. Many companies pay for gas for the travel of their employees. In order for a person to live and work, many have to have some sort of transportation, right? (Many, not all). And there are several companies who pay for mileage. And yet many gas stations offer rewards points for gas purchased at their specific company. So the individual employee receives benefits for gas that they aren't actually paying for.
Not the best comparison, but it's 4:45 am and I can't sleep because I am too goddamn nauseous. Forgive me.
Now, my HEALTH, is far more important than gas money, don't you think? I sure do. And yet I am not allowed to have any benefit from picking up something that I consistently need....?
I do not want to be on medication. I have to. It is not something that I enjoy. It is a necessity for my LIFE. And now they want to take away the only silver lining about being reminded every single day that I have to be on these horrible medications?
And what about the unfortunate people who do not have or cannot get insurance? Some medications are thousands of dollars for one dose, and without this they can die.... So they have to fork out thousands of dollars for medications that they NEED to live, they cannot get insurance because insurance will not cover what their issues are, and other than life, they want to take away the ONLY good thing about having to spend that much money on something that they literally cannot live without?!?
Got it.
Let's not forget that if it's the small pharmacies that are wanting to cut out rewards like Airmiles. If it's because they are unable to provide reward points so they want to take ones away that are already existing. Guess what? You take this away from some of us patients, I, personally, am absolutely not planning on giving you my business anyways. I will stick with the pharmacies that I have been with for 14 years.
I know that things could be worse. I know that we are lucky to live in a place where health care is 'free' and that these life saving medications are even available. There are places that have no access. This is just a simple rant... And really, in a country like ours, can we not afford to offer small 'rewards' as a very slight glint of hope for those who struggle with health on a daily basis? Just a thought.