Study: Prescription prices are higher in poor neighborhoods

[mrplunkey]

yes, and it was easier than most of my electrical engineering classes

I'd say non-linear differential equations (i.e. boundary value calculus), any graduate-level analog circuits class and any graduate-level digital electronics class would be significantly harder than organic chemistry.

Also, almost any graduate-level signal processing class would be harder than almost any of the aforementioned classes. Those are a nasty combination of linear algebra, statistics, calculus and engineering.

 

[binö]

that seems like an odd paradox of the free market.

how so?
seems like a perfect example of the free market system
less competition (not many respectable businesses wanna set up shop in ghettos, do you blame them?) means more expensive products.
growing up in a small town, i felt this in many different ways

 

[nimbus]

I'd say non-linear differential equations (i.e. boundary value calculus), any graduate-level analog circuits class and any graduate-level digital electronics class would be significantly harder than organic chemistry.

Also, almost any graduate-level signal processing class would be harder than almost any of the aforementioned classes. Those are a nasty combination of linear algebra, statistics, calculus and engineering.

even undergrad signal processing gave me a lot of trouble; I never got an A in any of the dsp classes

 

[velvett]

There are ways around it to make things easier for many people - mail order, Canada.

People tend not to think out the box either - if you are uninsured and you are taking $300+ of meds a month it makes more sense looking into a state health plan or a drug only coverage.

People are also stubborn - instead of eating better, being more active and losing weight their rather take BP meds, glucose meds and cholesterol meds.

Exceptions of course - sometimes your aliments are simply out of your control and it sad to think that someone has to decide between buying food or prescription drugs.

 

[chris302001]

O chem was easier for me than analyt or inorganic. I struggled my first semester of 112 level chem. lol. I would imagine once you got to pharm school though, it would only get harder.

 

[mrplunkey]

even undergrad signal processing gave me a lot of trouble; I never got an A in any of the dsp classes

They can be really nasty. At Vanderbilt, we lured a guy named James Cadzow away from Arizona State and he revamped the entire signal processing curriculum.

He did a lot of work for the Office of Naval Research on submarine finding and other types of array signal processing. He'd make things seem soooo simple in class, then he'd give us a problem to try for homework (he believed in homework for every class). I'd pay careful attention in class, take great notes and swear I'm ready for his problem -- then I'd take it home and it would kick my ass. Eventually I'd get them, but this guy was brutal.

DSP (especially array-style DSP) gets so nasty so quickly that its not even funny.

 

[mrplunkey]

O chem was easier for me than analyt or inorganic. I struggled my first semester of 112 level chem. lol. I would imagine once you got to pharm school though, it would only get harder.

I'd guess pharm-school chemistry is probably more biochemistry. That's more memorization and fewer mechanisms because at the end of the day, we really don't know that much about how complex molecules interact with each other. We can crank-out reaction mechanisms for Fischer Esterfication and Whitting reagents all day but the first 25,000 dalton protein that comes our way kicks our ass.

 

[chris302001]

I'd guess pharm-school chemistry is probably more biochemistry. That's more memorization and fewer mechanisms because at the end of the day, we really don't know that much about how complex molecules interact with each other. We can crank-out reaction mechanisms for Fischer Esterfication and Whitting reagents all day but the first 25,000 dalton protein that comes our way kicks our ass.

All I'm saying is that if it were so easy, more people would do it, demand would fall, and salaries wouldnt seem so bloated to outsiders who really dont know that much about it. And at the end of the day, pharmacists are responsible for patients getting the meds they were prescribed, things do get screwed up, people do die occasionally, so there is a liability factor. I dont know that many people on EF that want to be primarily responsible for the lives of other people on a day to day basis either.

 

[mrplunkey]

All I'm saying is that if it were so easy, more people would do it, demand would fall, and salaries wouldnt seem so bloated to outsiders who really dont know that much about it. And at the end of the day, pharmacists are responsible for patients getting the meds they were prescribed, things do get screwed up, people do die occasionally, so there is a liability factor. I dont know that many people on EF that want to be primarily responsible for the lives of other people on a day to day basis either.

Oh I completely agree. Pharmacy school is relatively difficult, very expensive and leaves you with a lot of professional responsibility. I'm not surprised that they are well compensated.

Now doctors on the other hand... pay those MF'ers $12.00/hour and be done with it! (j/k)

 

[Stefka]

things do get screwed up, people do die occasionally, so there is a liability factor.

And that's where I come in.