Ordering prescriptions isn’t what it used to be. Between phone calls to the mail order service, two visits to the pharmacy down the street, two calls to the doctor’s office and one misbegotten phone menu, I managed to get the whole thing straightened out after about two days and extra money for rush delivery.
Why are pills produced in so many forms? Even over-the-counter Advil comes in a capsule and pill form. I could understand if a generic pill was just done in plain white or blue or something, but let’s face it; there are just too many drugs out there. They come in enough colors that you could make a museum quality mosaic out of the ones left over after the doctor tells you to stop taking them (the day after your refill arrives).
Some supplements come in pills the size of a checker piece, while others are so small they get lost in your mouth or melt on your tongue before you can swallow the eight ounces of water required on the label. Those labels are cumbersome, too. Sometimes the labels are so plentiful, they cover up the rest of the information on the pill bottle. Take only as directed. Take with food. Take with water. Sit up or stand for thirty minutes after taking. Watch the Ellen DeGeneres show after taking. Okay, I made the last part up, but you get the picture (and Ellen’s show doesn’t come on at dinnertime, anyway).
If we all lived healthier lives and could satisfy our doctors’ needs for more normal cholesterol numbers, we could ditch the pills altogether, and the folks who decide what color the pills should be could go into the crayon coloring business.
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