Way back in 1897 the German company Bayer introduced aspirin to Germany and the world. Now you can’t buy any unless you go to an Apotheke, the German version of a pharmacy.
If you are 18 years old in Germany, you can buy enough hard liquor to kill a horse at any grocery store, kiosk, or gas station in the country, but citizens of all ages can’t be trusted enough to have the specialized knowledge required to treat their own headache. You can treat your broken spirits with all the Kleiner Feigling you can afford, available for purchase 24/7, but numbing that toothache is going to have to wait until normal business hours or require a drive to whatever pharmacy in town is specially open for emergencies such as this, or perhaps a desperate situation requiring cough syrup.
If you move to Germany and find that you may be allergic to something in the air that causes your eyes to become irritated, save yourself the frustration of the futile search for some Visine at a grocery store or even a Drogerie, because the well trained staff at Schlecker is not qualified to provide the necessary consultation for eye drops (”Are your eyes dry, or extra dry?”). And get ready to pay $15 for a tiny bottle of salt water, because this expertise, like all things in Germany, won’t come cheap.
deutsche Übersetzung für Astrid ein/ausblenden
Hi Astrid,
hier die Übersetzung:
Deutsche lassen Sie Aspirin nicht ohne professionelle Hilfe kaufen
Weit zurück im Jahre 1897 hat die deutsche Firma Bayer ganz Deutschland und der Welt Aspirin vorgestellt. Nun könne Sie keines kaufen, es sei denn Sie gehen in eine Apotheke.
Wenn Sie in Deutschland 18 Jahre alt sind, können Sie in jedem Supermarkt, Kiosk oder Tankstelle im Land ausreichend Schnaps kaufen, um ein Pferd zu töten, aber Bürgern jeden Alters kann nicht zugetraut werden, über das nötige spezielle Wissen zu verfügen, das man braucht, um herauszufinden, wie man seine eigenen Kopfschmerzen behandelt. Sie können Ihre betrübte Seele mit soviel Kleiner Feigling behandeln, wie Sie sich leisten können, verfügbar zum Kauf rund um die Uhr, aber die Zahnschmerzen zu betäuben muss auf die regulären Öffnungszeiten warten oder erfordern eine Fahrt zu der Apotheke der Stadt, die gerade Notdienst und für Notfälle wie diesen geöffnet hat, oder vielleicht eine verzweifelte Situation die nach Hustensaft verlangt.
Wenn Sie nach Deutschland ziehen und herausfinden, dass Sie gegen irgendetwas in der Luft allergisch sind, das Ihre Augen reizt, ersparen Sie sich selbst den Frust der aussichtlosen Suche nach Visine in einem Supermarkt oder sogar einer Drogerie, denn das gut ausgebildete Personal bei Schlecker ist nicht qualifiziert genug, um die nötige Beratung für Augentropfen anbieten zu können (”Sind Ihre Augen trocken oder sehr trocken?”). Und bereiten Sie sich darauf vor, 15 $ für eine winzige Flasche voll Salzwasser zu bezahlen, denn dieses Fachwissen, wie alles in Deutschland, ist nicht gerade günstig.
Alles Liebe,
John
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July 31st, 2008 at 12:10 am
While I disagree with some of the posts in this blog (heck some are downright wrong like the recent soda/chips post) but this one is (sadly) absolutely true.
While I understand “Verschreibungspflichtig” pefectly fine I just can’t get into my head why certain stuff is “Apothekenpflichtig”, for example said Aspirin.
July 31st, 2008 at 12:43 am
Quick note to non-German speakers:
Verschreibungspflichtig means a substance requires a prescription from a doctor, whereas Apothekenpflichtig means it has to be sold by a pharmacy, but you don’t need a prescription.
Yeah, I certainly swayed way past my 85% truth goal in the last post. The paprika only chips is based on remembering my first time in Germany way back in ‘99 and not really up-to-date anymore. But the fact that so many soft drinks are available certainly caught me off guard. I don’t ever buy soft drinks and usually only shopped at discounters in Germany, so I guess I didn’t notice all the “progress” that had been made.
To make up for it, though, this one is 100% true and even includes facts I looked up in Wikipedia. So now I the site is back to 85% true.
July 31st, 2008 at 5:43 am
I don’t really understand what you are complaining about. (Thats no irony, I just really can’t understand the text. I should improve my english).
If it’s, that you need a perscription for aspirin: That may be true for any hard stuff, but not for aspirin. Just walk in the apotheke and ask for it. Or you can even buy it on Ebay. Hint: the “Paracetamol” is much cheaper and not worse.
If the problem is that you can’t buy them 24/7: Just walk into an apotheke after work and buy a package of 20 Pills, and store it somewhere in your flat. It won’t expire in some years.
Some time you will need it anyway, so why just rush and get one single just in time.
July 31st, 2008 at 6:34 am
Well, actually you can buy eye drops at Schlecker (or at least DM).
Aspirin is not “verschreibungspflichtig”, no problem here as well. 24/7: in EVERY city you’ll find a “Apotheken-Notdienst”.
Nothing for ungood.
July 31st, 2008 at 6:42 am
Perhaps the invention of “apothekenpflichtig” was made to avoid this: http://www.starpulse.com/news/index.php/2008/03/02/lil_wayne_addicted_addicted_to_cough_syr
Nevertheless I totally agree with you and prefer the American 24/7 drugstore with its prescription counter over this overpriced system we have here in Germany.
July 31st, 2008 at 6:43 am
Yes, this is one of the things that bug me ,too. The convenience of getting over-the-counter meds in the US is something I miss. I never forget to stock up on Aspirin and stuff when I’m there.
July 31st, 2008 at 7:10 am
@Üther
The main problem is, that Aspirine as well as lots of other pharmaceuticals can be bought ONLY in pharmacies, not in drugstores, supermarkets or 24/7 shops. Therefore, the competition is low, price is high, availability is poor. Things are changing because of online pharmacies which put a certain pressure on prices, but hey, it is absolutely unthinkable to German politicians to let people decide by themselves what they want to use to relieve headache or so!
Even “biological” or “soft” pharmaceuticals (which, at all, have no effect, even not a negative one - most of them consist of sugar and alcohol) can be bought only at pharmacies. Crazy thinking.
Compare German prices of Aspirine to prices in, lets say, Egypt - four times cheaper….How could that save money for the social insurance system!
July 31st, 2008 at 7:21 am
I remember when I had those terrible toothache in the middle of the night, forcing me to drive around 20 kilometers searching for a pharmacy that offered night services, just to get the bloody ibuprofen I needed so badly.
July 31st, 2008 at 7:44 am
Even hydrogen peroxide, which comes in absurdly huge bottles in every American grocery store, has to be requested from a pharmacist here! And then it comes in a small bottle for a very high price. And you have to tell them why you need it. So funny.
July 31st, 2008 at 8:05 am
I thought I recently heard on the news that that pharmacy monopoly is about to be broken. Has anyone else heard that?
So watch this space.
July 31st, 2008 at 8:10 am
And the aspirin issue would be even more ridiculous if you compare what you’re charged for buyin 20 pills.
July 31st, 2008 at 9:06 am
@Krischan: Ah, thats the point… I didn’t know these part of the american culture…
Well, maybee thatswhy most Germans have a “Hausapotheke” for any emergency
But when I step out of my door, I reach 3 Aphotekes befor the first supermarket. And I think prices are fixed, no matter where you buy the meds.
But yes, when you wake up with terrible headache at night and your Hausapotheke isn’t well filled, you have to suffer the night thru…
July 31st, 2008 at 9:13 am
What’s your problem? I suppose most Germans didn’t even think about this. I buy nearly everything in specialist shops, because only there i get qualified expert advices. Especially in case of medicine this is very important, because a layperson (like me and i suppose 99% of the people) don’t know about possible risks. For example, if you caught a painful cystitis, Aspirin would be the wrongest pain killing medicament of all, because it makes Blood thinner, which can cause inner bleeding. I’m glad to be informed of such possible problems by a pharmacist instead of a salesgirl at a supermarket, who’s only medical qualification is how to put cosmetic powder on her acne blains.
July 31st, 2008 at 10:19 am
Tarkus: Your argument that aspirin might be a potential killer(!) is a bit weird, when in every other modern country you can buy them in supermarkets. (actually you can get ibuprofen in a london supermarket in concentrations of up to 200mg)
I havent heard of a mass epidemy of people dying from aspirin abuse.
July 31st, 2008 at 11:31 am
Oh how I hated this proprietary way with the Apothekes when we lived in Germany! Really, as Vanessa pointed out, there haven’t been problems in any other place where basic medicines are sold OTC! I think the difference is, in the US when a medicine has been deemed “non-prescription” it can literally be sold anywhere, not just by pharmacies. (with certain exceptions like cold meds that contain pseudo ephedrine, but this is just to curb meth production, not because lay people are too stupid to use it correctly)
I actually felt pretty patronized that Apothekers would have to have some explanation for why I wanted something! And then because all of this contraband is stored behind the counter, you don’t know if they are giving you the “best” one, or just the more expensive one. It became a rule that on every trip back home, we just bought a years worth of medicine.
Quite a racket these Apothekers have in Germany! But maybe the reason is the same as having far too many “-amts” in Germany- just keep things in such a way as to have as many people employed as possible- whether or not their job performs a function!
July 31st, 2008 at 11:49 am
Again! We (Germans) by the majority think it’s OK as it is. So, please accept it!
@kitty: We (Germans) have lots (but not too many!) of official bureaus we additionally call ”Amt”. I am sure, lots of other countries don’t have less of such bureaus, but just don’t call them with such a recognition feature. Instaed they say center, office, department, and, and, and…
July 31st, 2008 at 11:51 am
@vanessa: Did i say aspirin might be a potential killer? I did NOT!
July 31st, 2008 at 11:59 am
A giant bottle of Advil (sometimes 2) always accompanies me on my flights back from the US.
July 31st, 2008 at 12:57 pm
as with food, germany has the strictest laws regarding medication, which i think is an absolutely good thing! if i look at my friends most of them are really capable to use alcoholic beverages in a responsible and sensible way, regarding medication i wouldn’ t be too sure with that. everyone is taught in school about the risks of alcohol, but too many people are surprised by side effects cause they don’t read the instructions at all.
in the US many pills are sold over the counter that have ingredients that are even forbidden in germany! and i see using pills there as a absolutely everyday part of life for everyone, even for kids which it shouldn’t be as long as you are not seriously ill. and everyone not doing any sports, eating crap and smoking all the time and then taking pills for every cold is just stupid as can be. (americans the same as germans, no common prejudices here)
so, i am glad that some pharmaceutists ask me if i know what i’m doing cause i see too many people who don’t…
July 31st, 2008 at 1:33 pm
am i the only one who thinks people are taking this all way too seriously and word-by-word…..??
July 31st, 2008 at 1:43 pm
But the point of opening hours is a very annoying in general here in Germany. Not only pharmacies, but EVERY store is closed sundays. I really like the way it is done in the US. It is a pain in the a** in Germany if you forgot to buy bread before the weekend. Your only chance is to go to a gas station on sundays and pay about twice as much for your food.
July 31st, 2008 at 2:41 pm
I’m German and live in the US.
Pharmacies here in the US are not open 24/7 either. You also have to find the one in town that is open for emergencies.
True - you can buy Aspirins in the grocery stores which some of them are open 24/7….but who would not have a bottle on hand in the “Hausapotheke” anyway?
July 31st, 2008 at 3:35 pm
Ah yes, thus the large stash of ‘imported’ over-the-counter drugs to be found in almost every American expat’s home…
July 31st, 2008 at 3:39 pm
@ anne: being the daughter of a pharmacologist, i do take it seriously if people think they can eat whatever pills without any consequences, sorry. and yes, you CAN die from side effects of aspirin, although it’s very rare. i’m not panicky about things like that, but sometimes the carelessness of people does surprise me, especially if they eat pills like crazy and then rant about the greedy or incompetent doctors and the bad, bad pharmaceutical industry… (not the case here yet, though. fortunately.)
July 31st, 2008 at 4:01 pm
Some time ago I bought Aspirin in the pharmacy. I went in and said: Aspirin please. The box with 100 pills. The pharmacist said: That will be 15 EUR. I walked out.
Nobody asked me if I was Aspirin addict. Nobody asked me what symptoms I had. Nobody told me how many I should take.
There is no reason in the world why I could not have made this transaction in the supermarket. Besides - you can order as much Aspirin you like online - but only in pharmacies.
July 31st, 2008 at 5:05 pm
“Again! We (Germans) by the majority think it’s OK as it is. So, please accept it!”
Do we? please do me a favour and just speak for yourself, Tarkus. Germany has so much bueraus and laws and rules because we just like to regulate stuff and we have a pharmacy-monopoly because pharmacists like to earn money the way they do now andof course because of effective lobbyists. Thats why you can buy cigarettes and schnaps everywhere while aspirin and cough-syrup can just be purchased in pharmacies. It’s an old-fashioned law, which is stupid and anti-free market and everyone who argues otherwise is wrong…and probably a pharmacist.
July 31st, 2008 at 5:30 pm
@Dent: I also think that you can buy alcohol and tobacco everywhere because German taxation law says that the German state will earn quite a bit of money from those.
That said, I, too, am among the “drug importers”. For one, a Tylenol is just this much easier to swallow than a Paracetamol pill (smaller, smoother, works better for me). For two, I’m really not into paying German apothecary prices. Isn’t there even a proverb for overpriced things in German that says something like “this is like buying it in an Apotheke”?
@heidrun: “Responsibly using alcohol”? They must not be students, then. I’m at a university right now, and what I see is as far removed from responsible consumption as can be. Sure, in the US people drink themselves to a stupor, too, but at least it’s not as easy as in Germany. Buying five (!) 0.7L bottles of vodka at once means that you’ve just been given a potentially deadly weapon- far more deadly than a package of aspirin can be. And nobody bats an eyelash as you walk out with them- even when you’re barely seventeen. This, to me, is much more dangerous and weirder than Aspirin in supermarkets.
July 31st, 2008 at 6:43 pm
wow. hi-LAR-ious. This blog is a GEM! The comments from the cranky Germans are almost as funny as your posts–you can’t make that stuff up, it comes right out of the German psyche.
July 31st, 2008 at 6:48 pm
Well I have a friend here in Vienna that gets REALLY bad allergies every Spring. His doctor has prescribed him everything but since medication in general here in quite weak (has anyone else noticed this?), nothing seems to work very well, or if they do, then he’s drowsy the entire day. This friend used to live in NY and told me that the best thing was being able to walk into any supermarket or make-shift shack on the corner and pick up a bottle or two of Tylenol for allergies. He swore that two of those pills kept him completely allergy free and alert the entire day and that he’s never been able to find anything comparable in Europe.
So one day he gave a friend who was going to NY a wad of cash and asked her to bring back as many bottles of Tylenol as possible. On her way back to Vienna from NY, her suitcase was opened and searched at the airport by customs officials who promptly confiscated the bottles of Tylenol and charged her with illegally importing drugs. The poor thing was so shocked, she couldn’t believe what was happening! She tried to explain that this was regular over the counter drugs available in every supermarket in the US, but the officials would have none of it. They explained to her that it contained highly potent ingredients and as such, was very strictly regulated in Austria. This meant that you needed a license in order to import it and a prescription from a doctor in order to use it. They further explained that our allergic friend could personally pick up the stash of Tylenol, but he’d need to bring a doctor’s prescription in order to do so.
So off he went to his doctor and explained to her the situation, imagining to himself that she’s simply give him the prescription so that he could pick up the stash of Tylenol still languishing at the airport. No such thing! She explained that such drugs are too strong and have not been approved for use in Austria - request denied! So in the end the bottles of Tylenol were never picked up, the girlfriend now designated drugmule had to pay a fine and my friend had to continue taking ineffective, watered-down Austrian drugs for his allergies.
The moral of the story? Be careful what type of over the counter drugs you take with you into Europe. Quite a few of them have not been approved or require a doctor’s prescription. Does this stop me from loading up on Tylenol, Theraflu, Pepto Bismol or Robitussin whenever I go back to the States however? Most definitely not!
July 31st, 2008 at 10:23 pm
i never understood that habit that i see in american TV-series… whenever there is a problem, the first thing they do is take pills… and not one, half a bottle full of pills…
that’s a thing i have never heard of in germany, and i think there is a reason
> Therefore, the competition is low, price is high, availability is poor.
that’s the price for a monopoly. welcome to the real world
> Not only pharmacies, but EVERY store is closed sundays
hold it like The Doctor: “I don’t land on sundays, sundays are boring.”
July 31st, 2008 at 11:04 pm
@ Lea
“Isn’t there even a proverb for overpriced things in German that says something like “this is like buying it in an Apotheke”?”
Yup. “Apothekenpreise” (prices like in a pharmacy) for obviously overpriced goods.
July 31st, 2008 at 11:07 pm
@Tarkus: with regards to my use of “-amts”, perhaps I was referring mostly to the (Bavarian) KVR (Kreissverfaltungsreferat)? Honestly in my whole life in the US, I think the only govt office I’ve really had to visit was the DMV, and even they have cleaned up their bureaucratic act in the past few years. Having to physically go to a govt office (between the hours of 8-11am) EVERY TIME you move house is frankly overkill. All I could think was “well, this is surely one way to create jobs”. And yes, I realize that vital public funding is dependent on knowing precisely who and how many are living in a given area, yada yada yada… Another (unnecessary) function is this business of then changing out your car’s license plates every time you move from one city to another…. Jesus- yes it makes road trips in Germany interesting, because you play “what town is that car from?” but what a waste of time and money! Perhaps it could be enough that the people in Bavaria all have the same plate??
July 31st, 2008 at 11:30 pm
The infamous German “Ämter” and their opening hours. I dared complain to an official once. The response:
“But on Thursdays we’re open ’til 6pm!”
“Err… I actually have to attend lectures until 9pm on Thursdays.”
“Oh, you’re just a student? Why don’t you just skip class, then?”
“Let’s see… maybe because I’m really interested in the things I’m learning, wish to obtain a degree and am still somewhat German-ly challenged, so I need all the exposure I can get?”
“But it’s not like you’re going to miss anything, is it? You’re speaking perfectly fine, I think.”
“I am. Going to miss something, that is. And thanks for the compliemtn. Your German is very beautiful and easy to understand, too.” It was. She was from Northern Germany.
“But it’s not costing you anything, is it?”
“Actually, it’s going to cost YOU something. See, your taxes (I was just assuming they pay taxes even though they’re bureaucrats) pay for my studies. If I don’t go there, I’ll fail my exams. If I fail my exams, you’ll have to pay for another semester of me attending university.”
“Oh. But, don’t you have a morning free or something? Except for Wednesdays and Fridays, we’re there every single day between 9-11am.”
“I tend to have classes then.”
“Oh, but we’re open at 8am on Thursdays, too!”
I ended up waiting in line with all the disgruntled businesspeople at 7:30 on a Thursday morning. We were eying each other suspiciously, trying to judge the others’ sprinting powers and willingness to elbow one another so we might be on time for our first lecture/meeting. Needless to say, we were all late since the Amt opened at 8:25, on the dot. We didn’t even get a coffee for free for all our trouble.
Watching some Reaper episodes with a few friends really made me laugh out loud. If the DMV is considered Hell on Earth, they should try out a German “Bezirksamt”.
(by the way, I was very much amused when I picked my (British, therefore the “amused”) friend up at the airport yesterday. Apparently, German customs are serviced by the Federal Boarder Police)
August 1st, 2008 at 7:50 am
well, i’m not exactly talking about aspirin but really about the combination of an expensive healthcare system in combination with cheap over-the-counter-meds with sometimes serious side effects, which is nothing to be very proud of, in my opinion, especially in a country that boasts with its excellent customer service…
when my cousin’s 2 and 1/2 year old daughter had fever, what did she do? run to drive-thru walgreens, get some baby-tylenol (that tastes oh so good!), feed her the pills, put up a fan in front of her while she was sleeping and let her run around barefoot when she got up, doped. well, i wish there was someone at the counter being able to tell you how to treat fever with a kid, which is basically wrap her up in warm blankets, let her sleep and… wait?
it’s just the lacking knowledge about normal reactions of the human body in combination with a naive believe in medicine that astonishes me, here as well as in the us. but i think selling medication the same way as you sell toys or candy at walgreens rather makes people believe that the pills are just some kind of nutrition supplement (which is another annoying issue).
maybe my momentary lack of humour also comes from the experiences i just had in the us where my mother got seriously sick. when i picked up her prescriptions together with a german doctor we just looked at all those boxes available on display and he directly spotted three substances that are forbidden in germany and five others that were “verschreibungspflichtig” because they can be addictive, are rather strong, should be taken carefully and not if you have allergies or take other medication etc. i think these rules really makes sense. the whole thing started worrying me a bit about what my mother would get, especially having in mind that three doctors told us to get back to germany as fast as possible because we could get much better treatment here (and less expensive)…
August 1st, 2008 at 9:05 am
@ Lea
The customs area is staffed by customs (Zoll) people.
However, security at airports (and in trains, stations and several other federally funded travel-related areas) is indeed the resposinbility of the federal BORDER police (Bundesgrenzschutz, short BGS).
They were initially conceived to provide security near the intra-German border, as erman military is prohibited from operating on German soil (excepting disaster relief work).
Now that the inner German border is gone, the BGS’ area of responsibility has been shifted to general travel security.
August 1st, 2008 at 11:36 am
@curtis:
Your Friend seems not to be really smart. Why didn’t he just buy any paracetamol. It’s just the same ingredient.
(http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tylenol#Handelsmarken_und_Darreichungsformen)
Nichts für ungut!
August 1st, 2008 at 11:55 am
@Nitpicker: This was not meant seriously. It was a joke, based on the fact that signs at the airport proudly proclaim the fact that Germany has the most specialized police force in the world- the Federal Boarder police.
Yes, it’s a typo, but it’s hilarious in my opinion.
August 1st, 2008 at 1:45 pm
@Piet: Exactly. And I really doubt that paracetamol helps against allergies.
And to nitpick about something I read in one of the first comments: ‘Biological’ medicine, like salt water nose spray, herbal teas or camomile extract, can even be bought in discounters like aldi.
BTW: Could we please agree that both medical systems have their advantages and disadvantages?
August 1st, 2008 at 1:52 pm
@Piet
I really have no idea. He’s told me that he’s tried everything available here and that nothing works as well as Tylenol for Allergies, including prescription drugs he gets from the doctor.
I had a similar conversation with a pharmacist regarding Theraflu. I usually always have a box of Theraflu at hand for the winter season but unfortunately last year I got really sick with the flu and my stash of Theraflu ran out. I took the empty box of Theraflu with me to the local pharmacy to see if they could find a substitute with the same active ingredients. According to the pharmacist, it was indeed possible to find the same active ingredients, but I would have needed to take three different medicines, which she did not recommend. She didn’t know why, but there was no single flu remedy in Austria that contained all the active ingredients of Theraflu.
August 1st, 2008 at 1:56 pm
@Zeitlos
I think you guys are a bit confused here. Paracetamol is the active ingredient in regular Tylenol. I was referring to Tylenol for Allergies which is a completely different product that contains completely different ingredients. There are probably 7 or 8 different Tylenol products on the market in the USA, each with different active ingredients for different ailments.
August 1st, 2008 at 2:27 pm
I actually buy over the counter medication in the UK whenever I’m there… it’s just too difficult here in Germany.
Now… can you tell me where to get a prescription for enough hard liquor to kill a horse?
August 1st, 2008 at 7:09 pm
Having seen ‘Must Love Dogs’ last week, I could not understand Sarahs and Jakes problems with getting their rubber. I mean, you always say the shops are open 24/7 and you can get everything in a drugstore, even at Wal*Mart.
August 1st, 2008 at 11:46 pm
@Anne: yes, you are the only one…
August 2nd, 2008 at 8:21 pm
@Curtis:
So Tylenol is a ingredient name that became a brand name and now is used for different products with different ingredients? Okay, that makes me less confused
I’ve justed looked it up on the Tylenol homepage and it seems that the Tylenol problem, is a little bit like the theraflu problem: the Tylenol allergy stuff combines three ingredients to help against the allergic reaction as well as pain and stop the nose congestion.
In Germany this means, you would have to take three different medicinies (Pain killers, nose spray and antihistaminics) at the same time….I guess I will try to lay my hands on some Tylenol for next summer.
August 7th, 2008 at 12:18 pm
@Kim: Yeah right, and the Apotheken Notdienst will charge you at least €4 convenience fee for opening the door after hours to sell you something, even if it’s just cough drops…
But it’s only fair, pharmacy takes a whole lot of time to study and they want their revenge in some way.
I recentlysolved the aspirin problem as a side effect by flying to San Francisco to visit a friend. I bought them off Walgreen’s; the first 200 for $3.99, the second 200 for $1.99 and some Ibuprofene as well. I’m still flyin’….
October 27th, 2008 at 8:31 pm
i’ve heard from some exchange-students that american people even take their vitamins in pills (there is something like vegetables and there are vitamins in it, you knew that?). so i think its nothing to wonder about, when americans feeling uncomfortable not getting their drugs…
and even here in germany the people are going to buy more and more pharma-crap just fighting their symptoms and not even thinking about fighting the reasons of a disease or whatever (of course its good for the doctors, when the symptoms are back, the patient is back and the “krankenversicherung” pays more money). heidruns example with the feversish kid is perfect. this way of medication makes children drug-addicts before they are born (since the mother is taking her pills also)…..
of course its a pain in the a** when you cant buy special things on certain days or daytimes but. but most non-commercialdrug-addict-germans are able to manage that problem…
November 24th, 2008 at 10:49 pm
So true…
I love the big Aspirin bottles in American stores containing more pills than i am ever going to swallow
December 3rd, 2008 at 5:48 pm
I hardly use 10 aspirin per year and they have an expiration date - so what sense does it make to buy 200? It would take me 20 years to consume them…
Is the expiration date on german/austrian aspirin a fake? How many aspirin per year do americans consume?