Sex Offenders Receiving Free Viagra???

[EigthAv]

I'm placing this one the the "nuetral zone" on the theory that this issue should be a matter of common sense and not down any party lines.Check this out.........<!--EZCODE BR START--><!--EZCODE BR END--><!--EZCODE BR START--><!--EZCODE BR END-->Sex Offenders/Medicaid Paid Viagra (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7946129/)<!--EZCODE BR START--><!--EZCODE BR END-->This makes as much sense as prescribing free vodka for dui regulars,fertilty pills for mums convicted of child abuse and screen doors on submarines.Stupid,plum stupid,if you ask me.

[mr pru]

Good Lord-I'm afraid to ask what's next.

Let's hope both Repubs and Dems work together on this one.

Once proven guilty, sex offenders should be put to death very, very slowly and as uncomfortable as possible.

[Nitts]

Why aren't the doctors that prescribe this stuff being called on the carpet? Someone is writing prescriptions in order for the insurance to be used in the first place.

[kwanfanatic2002]

I cannot believe this. i wonder about the dr.s too. Thi should be outlawed. What is next???.

[Jayjen36]

Why aren't the doctors that prescribe this stuff being called on the carpet? Someone is writing prescriptions in order for the insurance to be used in the first place

This is remarkable! What sort of idiot would prescribe a convicted level 3 sex offender Viagra??? Aren't they still being chemically castrated? And why wasn't this caught before now? It is beyond an embarrassment, it's approaching being criminal. In a way prescribing someone who is a convicted rapist or pedophile Viagra is encouraging or enabling them to commit new crimes. I wonder if some of those doctors will be held legally accountable for what they've done?

[EigthAv]

Numbers I got from watching various reports on the Viagra/Sex Offender situation: Over 200 in New York,over 200 in Florida.That many sex offenders in just 2 states receiving medicaid paid Viagra. I'm going to see if I can any numbers for my home state of Alabama. The latest update I got was that lawmakers planned to act quickly to put a stop to this.

[4dogknight]

I hope every one is as quick to deny these medications to convicted sex offenders as they are to deny contraception medications to women.

And could we have the law concerning the denial of medication be based on religious beliefs! Then perhaps we can have the pharmacists give the convicted sex offenders a good talking to while they are denying the medications.

4dk - she said with sarcasm dripping on every word.

[moxie]

It's especially bad that sex offenders are getting tax-supported Viagra, but the real problem is ANYONE getting this drug via Medicare/Medicaid unless it is somehow deemed medically necessary. And I don't mean just for "mental health" or "esteem" reasons.

[attyfan]

According to a blurb on the abc news last night, the doctors are not required to check out their patients to see if they are sex offenders before writing a prescription -- and their patients usually do not disclose that they are sex offenders. IMHO, make it a species of felony fraud -- then (at least in California) those with two or more priors will be in prison for the rest of their lives under our "three strikes" laws.

[Sparks]

Yes, it is difficult for a physician to know what type of criminal history a patient has.

Moxie, ITA. The unfortunate thing is that some Psychiatrists will prescribe Viagra to combat the annoying sexual side effects of anti-depressants. I think this is a way to get patients to be more medication compliant with taking anti-depressants. I have seen this in action, so to speak.

Medicaid will pay for Viagra, but will not pay for birth control or smoking cessation....makes me sick. :x

[Nitts]

Any good physician would ask a certain amount of questions before prescribing medications. Sure, the offender could be dishonest, but when asked for previous medical records, I would think that a chart from a prison would put up a red flag.

[4dogknight]

Reports of blindness in men using Viagra, Cialis] (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8004291/)

{snip}
"Federal health officials are examining rare reports of blindness among some men using the impotence drugs Viagra and Cialis, a disclosure that comes at a time when the drug industry can ill afford negative publicity about another class of blockbuster medicines.
The Food and Drug Administration still is investigating, but has no evidence yet that the drug is to blame, said spokeswoman Susan Cruzan.
This type of blindness is called NAION, or non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy. It is a common optic nerve disease in adults over age 50 and can occur in men who are diabetic, have high blood pressure or high cholesterol, the same risk factors that can cause impotence.
The FDA has 42 reports of the blindness, 38 among users of Viagra and four among users of Cialis. There were no cases reported among users of Levitra, the third impotence drug.
“We take this seriously,” said FDA’s Cruzan."

Comment: One would certainly hope the FDA would take this seriously - wouldn't one?

{snip}
"Viagra was approved by the government in 1998. It may aid in the treatment of enlarged hearts that can result from high blood pressure, tests on animals indicate."

Comment: And isn't this just one more reason not to test products to be used or consumed by humans on animals?

{snip}
"Industry critics have been demanding that drug companies conduct more post-marketing studies in order to do a better job of discoving side effects once drugs hit the market.
For more than two decades, Americans have mostly pressed for quicker approval of what they hope can be lifesaving drugs for such diseases as AIDS and cancer. But many now are wondering if medicines — a $200 billion industry annually — are coming out too fast and doing too much harm.
Viagra also is at the center of controversy over Medicaid’s payment for prescriptions of the drug to convicted sex offenders in New York and other states."

Comment: Wouldn't it be better to discover the side effects before the drug hits the market or am I just hoping for a more logical world?

4dk

[EigthAv]

I agree that it is wrong to hold back on birth control,whilst passing out the viagra by the wholesale.Imo,ours is an over-medicated,over doped,over sexed society.You'd think we are an endangered species looking at all the wonder drugs available to make sure we continue to increase the population.As Mr.Spock would say,it is not logical.

[4dogknight]

From the original article:
While the auditors didn’t review the situation on Viagra reimbursement by Medicaid in other states, he said they have no indication that the policies are different elsewhere.

Well here's (http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2005-05-28-viagra-medicare_x.htm) the information on the reimbursement in states other than NY.

4dk - Who wonders why the administration is concentrating on Social Security when the immediate problem is actually Medicare/Medicade!