Medicine Access
8 medicines
How people actually get medicines: costs, coverage, shortages and the systems that decide.
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Antibiotics and Antimalarials Without a Prescription in Africa: The Real Cost of the Counter
Across much of sub-Saharan Africa, antibiotics and malaria treatments are sold without a prescription or a diagnosis. It solves a real access problem and creates a bigger one. An honest look at both sides.
Bringing Your Medication to the UAE and Dubai: Banned Lists, Permits and What Travellers Get Wrong
Codeine, tramadol, benzodiazepines, ADHD stimulants and most CBD are controlled or banned in the UAE, and routine medicines from home can cause serious trouble at the border. Here is how the rules actually work.
Ireland's Drugs Payment Scheme: The Monthly Cap Most Families Underuse
No Irish household should pay more than the DPS monthly cap for approved medicines, yet plenty pay more through unclaimed caps and brand choices. Here is how the scheme, reference pricing and generics actually interact.
No Family Doctor? What a Canadian Pharmacist Can Now Prescribe (2026)
Millions of Canadians have no family doctor, yet pharmacists in nearly every province can now assess and prescribe for a growing list of common conditions. Here is what that covers, province by province, and where the limits are.
Ozempic, Wegovy and the New Generic: What GLP-1s Really Cost in Canada (2026)
Generic semaglutide has arrived in Canada, no province covers Wegovy for weight loss, and cash prices now range from under $100 to over $500 a month. Here is the honest 2026 map of GLP-1 costs and coverage.
South African Medical Aid, Chronic Medicine and the Generic Co-Payment Trap
Your medical aid must cover chronic medicine for listed conditions, but insisting on the brand when a generic exists is what triggers most co-payments. Here is how PMBs, the chronic list and reference pricing really interact.
The ADHD Stimulant Shortage: Surviving It, the Alternatives, and the Overdiagnosis Debate
Years into the stimulant shortage, generic Adderall is still patchy and pharmacy roulette is a monthly ritual. Here is why supply stays broken, what the non-stimulant options offer, and an honest look at the overdiagnosis argument.
Unfunded in New Zealand: Why Pharmac Says No, and What It Costs Patients
New Zealand funds medicines through a single capped budget, and around 300 funding applications sit waiting. Here is how Pharmac decides, why effective medicines stay unfunded, and the options people actually have.
Guides on the practical side of medicine: what treatments cost in different countries, what public systems cover and refuse, how shortages play out, and the honest options when the system says no.