New laws for prescription medication?

[NurofenPlus]

Are u happy with the healthcare system overall? Do you have to see specialists and is it hard to see then? Overhere we are brainwashed into thinking your healthcare system is garbage even though it is ranked higher than ours.

The healthcare system in Australia is good, you can see specialists if you want and it's generally not too difficult (in my experience), but non-metro (outside the major cities) healthcare is a mixed bag. If you're in regional Victoria, for example, even in the larger cities Bendigo/Ballarat/Geelong you might find yourself having to travel to Melbourne for certain things. But it's cheap and you can get appointments. The totally free healthcare in Australia (bulk-billed GPs) is generally garbage though. Patient factories, in and out so they can bill Medicare for as many $38 appointments as they can.

I've also lived in the UK, where healthcare is completely free and available everywhere, but waiting lists are looong. I can generally get a Dr appointment same day in Aus, UK you'd be waiting a few weeks for a GP unless it was an emergency (they can always fit you in, but it's a mixed bag).

I entirely agree with Flynnal though, some Drs are cunts for the sake of it (or at least seem like it), on a power trip. My last Dr retired and I was assigned to a new one at the same surgery who wanted to completely change treatment and go down a different path, refusing to continue with what had worked long term. I went elsewhere and luckily found a new Dr who is actually understanding of the fact I can't be taking a day off every week to see nurses and specialists, and just gives me what's worked fine for years.

Pharmacists (and even more so, pharmacy assistants) are the real nazis here though. They like to think they're Doctors.

 

[JessFR]

I grew up in the south and live in California now.

What area or major city of Aus would u say is the most progressive and diverse? What is the approach to work life balance like? Like in the US we work ourselves to death and taking vacations is looked down upon vs Europe is much more relaxed.

Are u happy with the healthcare system overall? Do you have to see specialists and is it hard to see then? Overhere we are brainwashed into thinking your healthcare system is garbage even though it is ranked higher than ours.

Sorry for so many questions my wife and I are very serious about finding a new home to live out the rest of our lives. We are an I interracial black and white couple. Is that weird in certain areas of Aus? Like I would never live with my wife in the deep south of america. With how volatile it is now I dont even feel comfortable driving through the rural parts of oregon with her. recently armed citizens were just blocking roads and questioning ppl at gunpoint with AR15s.

As someone who's lived in both countries I can't say there's not things I miss about America. If you came to live in Australia I'm sure there's things you'd miss too.

That said, Sydney and Melbourne are both very tolerant places and I don't think you'd have any problem.

I really can't praise the healthcare system enough. I still have family in the US, Florida specifically, and it's horrible how they arent able to get medical issues properly looked at because they don't have the money.

While I was able to get a hepatitis c cure worth tens of thousands of dollars, for a disease I got cause I was a heroin addict, at virtually no cost.

I got to go to methadone clinics, and pay nothing. I won't tell you the private ones aren't better, they are, but at least the options there.

I can get blood tests that cost me nothing, see specialists that cost me nothing. And I can't say I've found the wait times anything to write home about.

Australia uses a mixed private and public system. If you want to have health insurance for the private facilities you can, but the public options are very adequate.

So yea. Depending on your priorities, there will no doubt be different things you'd miss. And I can't say I've never found myself profoundly frustrated with Australia or Australians. I hate that women aren't even allowed to carry fucking pepper spray for self defense.

I hate how many times I've seen Australians fucking defend those laws.

I hate how many times I've seen Australians argue that the right to free speech is constrainted by a right not to be offended.

I hate that smoking is so obscenely taxed and that I couldn't smoke anywhere back when I was a smoker. Not to mention the crazy cost of living (though this is offset by very good wages)

But when it comes down to basic on the ground quality of life. Australia is an amazing place to live and superior to America in many ways.

 

[headmelt]

As someone who's lived in both countries I can't say there's not things I miss about America. If you came to live in Australia I'm sure there's things you'd miss too.

That said, Sydney and Melbourne are both very tolerant places and I don't think you'd have any problem.

I really can't praise the healthcare system enough. I still have family in the US, Florida specifically, and it's horrible how they arent able to get medical issues properly looked at because they don't have the money.

While I was able to get a hepatitis c cure worth tens of thousands of dollars, for a disease I got cause I was a heroin addict, at virtually no cost.

I got to go to methadone clinics, and pay nothing. I won't tell you the private ones aren't better, they are, but at least the options there.

I can get blood tests that cost me nothing, see specialists that cost me nothing. And I can't say I've found the wait times anything to write home about.

Australia uses a mixed private and public system. If you want to have health insurance for the private facilities you can, but the public options are very adequate.

So yea. Depending on your priorities, there will no doubt be different things you'd miss. And I can't say I've never found myself profoundly frustrated with Australia or Australians. I hate that women aren't even allowed to carry fucking pepper spray for self defense.

I hate how many times I've seen Australians fucking defend those laws.

I hate how many times I've seen Australians argue that the right to free speech is constrainted by a right not to be offended.

I hate that smoking is so obscenely taxed and that I couldn't smoke anywhere back when I was a smoker. Not to mention the crazy cost of living (though this is offset by very good wages)

But when it comes down to basic on the ground quality of life. Australia is an amazing place to live and superior to America in many ways.

 

[headmelt]

""I hate that smoking is so obscenely taxed and that I couldn't smoke anywhere back when I was a smoker. Not to mention the crazy cost of living (though this is offset by very good wages)"


Fuck im paying $106 for 50 grams of champion ruby, rolling tobbaco. Sorry i dont know if this make sense im soooo drunk hahahah :D

 

[andyturbo]

I grew up in the south and live in California now.

What area or major city of Aus would u say is the most progressive and diverse? What is the approach to work life balance like? Like in the US we work ourselves to death and taking vacations is looked down upon vs Europe is much more relaxed.

Are u happy with the healthcare system overall? Do you have to see specialists and is it hard to see then? Overhere we are brainwashed into thinking your healthcare system is garbage even though it is ranked higher than ours.

Sorry for so many questions my wife and I are very serious about finding a new home to live out the rest of our lives. We are an I interracial black and white couple. Is that weird in certain areas of Aus? Like I would never live with my wife in the deep south of america. With how volatile it is now I dont even feel comfortable driving through the rural parts of oregon with her. recently armed citizens were just blocking roads and questioning ppl at gunpoint with AR15s.

Melbourne or Sydney would defiantly suit your needs. The healthcare system here is fantastic. Coming from such a terrible system that your used too it will be a very pleasant surprise!

 

[Lilly77]

Yes, the laws have changed. Mostly due to people mixing benzos and opiates and coming off second best. Doctors are urged to only prescribe smallest amounts, no repeats and from some time soon QLD, along with other states will have real time monitoring of all S8s and any opiates, benzos and amphetamine based pills.

To the person who needed the prednisone - not sure why that would be not handed out?

 

[NurofenPlus]

Yes, the laws have changed. Mostly due to people mixing benzos and opiates and coming off second best. Doctors are urged to only prescribe smallest amounts, no repeats and from some time soon QLD, along with other states will have real time monitoring of all S8s and any opiates, benzos and amphetamine based pills.

To the person who needed the prednisone - not sure why that would be not handed out?

That’s right, we’ve had script monitoring in Vic since late last year (April 2020 statewide), SafeScript, which monitors S8s and anything containing Codeine (plus some others I believe).

That actually wasn’t a problem, but then then new prescribing rules on 1/6 did something to throw my script into disarray, had to be reviewed be a different doctor and now I have to go back every month, which is annoying but better than nothing. At least COVID has made the appointments free for the time being.

 

[JessFR]

It seems really fucking dumb that the system is designed to be so obscenely careful not to give people opiates they don't need that it leaves legitimately suffering people in pain.

Buuuuut, if you happen to be able to show that you've been using opiates illegally, suddenly you can get all the methadone or subuxone you want.

I'm certainly not complaining about the latter but it would be nice if people suffering from physical pain got some of the good stuff too.

 

[NurofenPlus]

It seems really fucking dumb that the system is designed to be so obscenely careful not to give people opiates they don't need that it leaves legitimately suffering people in pain.

Buuuuut, if you happen to be able to show that you've been using opiates illegally, suddenly you can get all the methadone or subuxone you want.

I'm certainly not complaining about the latter but it would be nice if people suffering from physical pain got some of the good stuff too.

Yep, including codeine, which thanks to the propaganda drummed up in 2016-18 in the lead up to up-scheduling is apparently the most harmful drug on the planet. Despite all the deaths they were using as supporting evidence no doubt being down to the ibuprofen or paracetamol.

From what I've read, NZ were considering 15mg codeine only tabs being downgraded to OTC (although I can't imagine many pharmacists actually handing it out), with the rest up-scheduled, but afaik that was knocked on the head and it's all Rx only there now too.

 

[JessFR]

Worse still, near as I can tell the plan that patients would have to ask their doctors for a prescription for drugs like neurofen plus or panadeine extra has essentially never been properly implemented, and the few who've gotten such a prescription have only wound up on higher doses of codeine than they started.

And you're right, 90% of the health risks used to justify it was form the paracetamol and ibuprofen, falsely blamed on codeine.

I don't actually suffer from any chronic physical pain and my tolerance has made codeine useless to me for a long time, so none of this actually directly affects me, but it's matter of principle.