Questions are answered by experts from the Oregon Health Authority, other government agencies or community partners. Questions and answers are re -published by permission. The newsletter took a break this week, so these questions and answers are of previous newsletters.
Question: My caregiver said that Oregon Law makes it illegal to send a recipe electronically to a Canadian pharmacy. Buying from Canada has saved me thousands of dollars and obtaining a paper recipe is a hassle. Can you confirm that this is the Oregon Act? I had never heard of it. The Oregon Board of Pharmacy cannot give an answer and the Oregon Board of Medicine did not respond to my question. – Teresa, Aloha
A: Teresa, this is a wild complex issue, so although we regret that you have not been able to get an answer, we are not surprised. There are several entities, laws and regulations that play a role here, including the Oregon Medical Board, the Medical Board in the Canadian province where the pharmacy is located, the US Food and Drug Administration and Canada’s equivalent of the FDA.
The short answer is that generally American providers be able to Send recipes electronically to Canadian pharmacies, but whether the pharmacy will fill it in or not another question. But whether the recipe in electronic or paper shape is, the Canadian pharmacy will usually have to work with a Canadian provider to get a new recipe for the medication (a process called ‘cosigning’ before they can hand it over to the patient, and they can only deliver a 90-day stock.
That said, a lot depends on the type of medication, whether it has now been approved by the FDA and a large amount of discretion exercised by officials on both sides of the border. This means that there is unfortunately no simple answer to your question.
However, we can say that the reduction of personal use in the US is subject to the import laws of the American drugs. Moreover, Florida is authorized by the FDA to import certain prescription drugs into the US to help reduce consumer costs, and a handful of other states are working on it (Oregon is not one of them).
-from May 2024
Question: I am looking for sources about the best way to remove firearms from my adult son’s house. He admitted fear and depression, ADHD and thoughts of suicide (which he minimizes). He sees a therapist but wants to concentrate on ADHD. I am not sure if he has discussed his true level of depression or the fact that he has weapons at home (stored in locked containers). I don’t want to escalate the situation, but I want it to be safe. I thought the therapist would tackle this, but if she did, I would not have seen any change. I do not want to involve law enforcement. He is a loving person, married to a young child. Staff? – Anonymous, Hillsboro
A: There are a few options that you could consider helping your son. You can always call (or chat online), or encourage your son to do this, for confidential support and sources. You can also contact the Washington County Crisis Line (503-291-9111) or check their website for additional information, including the pursuit of an extreme risk security (ERPO). An Erpo is a judicial order that prevents a person who runs the risk of himself or another person, to possess or acquire fatal weapons for a certain period, including firearms. Call 503-846-2857 for more information about ErPos in Washington County. Any family member (limited to husband, parent, child or brother or sister), a member of the household or an intimate partner can request an Erpo on behalf of his loved one.
You could also look at Nami Oregon, the Oregon chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness. They have local offices in Oregon and offer free pear support and sources for you and your family, including support groups, classes and workshops. Before you have the Nami Washington County Chapter a robust support group program and maybe you will find their weekly “Family Support Group” useful. They also have a special “drop-in” policy, where everyone can just fall into Mon.-Thurs. (10 a.m. to 6 p.m.) and Friday (10 a.m. to 4 p.m.) to talk to someone. No appointment needed and they are in 18680 Swhaw St. in Aloha (503-356-6835).
If people want to make contact with a Nami office near them, they can search this list of 17 Oregon chapters. Crisis lines for every province of Oregon can be found here.
-From November 2024
If you have questions about health topics for the Oregon Health Authority, Serve your question here. Although the agency is unable to answer every question, it will try to be important for a wide audience. Please understand that OHA cannot give specific medical advice for personal medical conditions.
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