I was asking about Europe, not India.
I donāt think there is a difference though. Regardless of the origin/source if customs stops/inspects a shipment they wonāt allow it to pass, not meds anyway. Iāve heard cases where people had actual prescriptions from a doc and supposedly, they are allowed but donāt have personal experience to speak of.
I wasnāt looking for speculation because I can do that on my own. Looking for anyone who has actually tried ordering from Europe, if itās even possible. There may not even be European pharmacies that will sell internationally without a prescription if their laws are more strict.
1 Like
I researched it a while back and no there isnāt any EU pharmacies that will ship without a docās prescription. I was told (never tried) that in Turkey you might find someone who may be willing though dealings off the books in turkey are sketchy at best, so I didnāt go that route. Of course, if others know differently or have personal experiences they can chime in.
Pretty much all pharmacists in Europe do most of the prescribing as compared to the doctorās. Very different from North America. I pick up all my wifeās and my meds on trips to Europe. Itās often a1/10 to of the price- helps pay for the Aperol spritzers. You just walk in with a picture on your phone of the medications you require. Sometimes you have to say you lost them in your luggage. No big deal
2 Likes
Ok that is for walk ins, but have you ever ordered online though? I tried once to order from a European online pharmacy, but they required a prescription?
You have to get on a plane and enjoy Italian food and wine. Not much of a hardshipš
2 Likes
This is great news
The company has said they will price materially lower than other on patent cholesterol lowering drugsā¦. Letās see
2 Likes
Or. India gets ahold of this med to make it available to their population and then we just piggyback on that as usual, maybe a few months delay. Two diseases in India are crushingly common - CVD and T2DM - costing the healthcare system and society dearly. The authorities are certainly bent on providing all possible meds for these conditions at reasonable cost. This means an idiosyncratic approach to drug patents and very tough bargains with foreign drug companies: give us these at low cost (in exchange we promise to not re-export), or we take them generically for free.
I donāt know what will happen in this case, but the Indians are highly motivated vs any effective med for CVD, so Iām hoping that in a few months - a year - these will pop up, and itās off to the races for us. Or at least thatās my fantasy 
!
5 Likes
Not a replacement for drugs as thereās no MACE data, or pleiotropy, and the effect is small, but sitostanol ester is safe to use according to Dayspring.
2 Likes
I sure hope so. The cheapest alternative to statins right now is bempedoic acid at 80ā¬/month.
1 Like
Dr. Brad Stanfield on ezetimibe.
āDebunkedā $6 Pill Found to Reduce Heart Disease (via Dr Brad Stanfield
6 Likes
I know the āMā you mentioned. Did you give him a rating on IndiaMart? Iām not suggesting that you should give him a bad rating because the seized shipments were not his fault. At this point, I would rate him highly based on the shipments I have received.
However, if I had packages seized, I would add a note mentioning that experience for the benefit of other buyers. The reason I ask is that I always read the most recent ratings with comments, especially for shipments to the US, before making a purchase from an IndiaMart vendor. I find these reviews very useful for determining which vendors are reliable and which ones to avoid.
1 Like
You misunderstood my posting. I said I NEVER had any orders stopped from the M guy. The person my orders got stopped is a different/new supplier I used for 6-7 orders. I received first three orders fine from them, and then last four all got confiscated BY CUSTUMS.
You need not read any comments about M. He is 100% accurate and to the point with his orders. You could use your method (of reading comments) about new ones, I guess. But I as an example had at least 25 orders from M and all were delivered without any issues, so why would I care what anyone says about him (as an example) even though Iām sure others have had same experience as me.
2 Likes
Important result, and good explanation by Dr Tsimikas
Yep! Youāre right! I misread it. Apologies.
2 Likes
Just another reminder that a CAC score by itself is not that useful for predicting future cvd risk :
While CAC reflects the current detectable burden of calcified plaque, LDL-C history reflects the cumulative biological pressure the arterial wall has been exposed to over time. A zero calcium score doesnāt erase that exposure
CAC should always be interpreted in the context of age, sex, family history, and lifelong exposure to atherogenic lipoproteins. A zero calcium score is reassuring, but it is most reassuring when the rest of the risk profile points in the same direction.
4 Likes