Is it safe to buy over-the-counter medications from dollar stores? Dr. Brooke Mobley, associate medical director of skilled nursing care in Tampa Bay, Florida, and associate medical director of North Pinellas Hospitalist Medicine for Optum Care of Florida, talks about the do's and don’ts of purchasing everyday medicines from dollar stores.
June 12, 2024
Docs in a Pod focuses on health issues affecting adults. Providers and partners discuss stories, topics and tips to help you live healthier with hosts Ron Aaron, Dr. Audrey Baria and Dr. Tamika Perry.
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Show transcript
Podcast transcript
INTRO
Welcome to Docs in a Pod, presented by WellMed. Over the next half-hour, Docs in a Pod will educate you about the health and wellness of adults everywhere. Co-hosts Dr. Tamika Perry and award-winning veteran broadcaster Ron Aaron will share information to improve your health and well-being. And now here are Ron Aaron and Dr. Tamika Perry.
MILTON GLUECK
Thank you for joining us today on the award-winning Docs in a Pod. I'm Milton Glueck. Ron Aaron, who's normally here, is on assignment, top secret assignment. I can't even say what's happening, but no, I'm just kidding, but I am in good hands because our co-host is going to be Dr. Tamika Perry. And I know she is absolutely great. This is going to be an interesting topic. Dr. Perry, as we talk about dollar store medication, you're looking forward to this one.
DR. TAMIKA PERRY
I am looking forward to this one because we know a lot of our patients utilize those dollar store medications. Our expert is going to tell us the pros, cons, indifference, what we should do.
MILTON GLUECK
Well, I'll introduce you to Dr. Perry and I'll introduce you to our guest today. Our guest is Dr. Brooke Mercedes Mobley. We'll tell you about her in a second but let me tell you about Dr. Perry. She is an associate medical director at WellMed. A physician at WellMed at Redbird Square Clinic, located in Dallas. She got her master's degree at the University of North Texas Health Science Center in Fort Worth and earned her medical degree at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine in Philadelphia. Also earned her master's in public health from the University of North Texas and her undergraduate degree is from Prairie View A&M University. Did I get all that right, Dr. Perry?
DR. TAMIKA PERRY
You got it right. Go Panthers! And I have a wonderful, wonderful, illustrious member of Delta Sigma Theta Service Sorority Incorporated in which we service the community. That is nothing in comparison to our guest.
MILTON GLUECK
Okay, shall I introduce her?
DR. TAMIKA PERRY
Yes.
MILTON GLUECK
Dr. Brooke Mercedes Mobley is our guest. She graduated from Xavier University of Louisiana in 2003, where she was part of the illustrious Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated. She went on to obtain her Master of Business Administration from St. Joseph's Hobb School of Business and Doctorate of Osteopathy in the dual-degree program from Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. During her medical school career, she was very active in the Student National Medical Association, the only national minority association for pre-medical and medical students on the local and national level. After graduation, she went on to an internal medicine residency and neuropathy fellowship at Christiana Care Health Services in Newark, Delaware. And her goal? You're going to get this out of this one is to inspire and encourage the generation of young medical and business professionals that come after her the same way that she was inspired by the generations whose shoulders she stands on. Dr. Mobley, welcome to the show. This is an interesting topic. I have a feeling that maybe someone was spying on me, I occasionally visit dollar stores. By occasionally I mean a lot. Our topic is dollar store medication. Where do we even begin on this one? I guess why.
DR. BROOKE MOBLEY
I think it's important because we are definitely in a culture now where inflation is a serious issue. Employment is down, medical costs and insurance are very costly. People are continuing to watch their finances. And one of the largest expenses people have on a family income is medical expenses. And while we think about things like these different dollar store conglomerates being a place where you go and you grab some glassware or your holiday decorations, there are people in our community who use these stores for grocery stores, who use these stores for their imperishable items and who sometimes use these stores for their medication needs. Over the counter medication needs. Let's be specific. You cannot get prescription required medication at a dollar store conglomerate, but you can get over the counter allergy medication. You can get over the counter pain relief medication. You can get over the counter fever medication. You can get over the counter heartburn or reflux medication. Those are the primary medications we will be discussing are things that can be purchased over the counter. A lot of times it looks very appealing to the consumer to buy a medication at a cheaper cost, but at the cheaper cost does definitely come some increased risks.
MILTON GLUECK
And Dr. Perry, is this kind of kind of how you see it too, with the dollar store medications?
DR. TAMIKA PERRY
Not just the dollar store, but any pharmacy where you're going to buy medications or any facility where you're going to buy medications over the counter. Theres certain things you definitely want to look for. I absolutely want all patients to look at expiration dates, names and confer with your physician. Is this what I'm supposed to be taking? Because risk comes with all medications. Drugs are labeled dangerous drugs for a reason, and all drugs are dangerous drugs. They oppose danger. So, we want to minimize that risk. Dr. Mobley is probably going to tell us what to look out in particular for at super-discounted stores if you have to choose a medication there.
MILTON GLUECK
You're listening to the award-winning Docs in a Pod brought to you by WellMed, and our guest today is Dr. Brooke Mobley. We're talking about dollar store medication, and I think Dr. Perry set you up with the next question. You want to talk about the things to look out for the things to be careful about?
DR. BROOKE MOBLEY
Absolutely. The do's and don'ts of trying to procure medications from dollar stores. First and foremost, do not purchase any medication that is manufactured outside of the United States. I will go as further to say, do not purchase any medication that has a name you're not aware of. If it is a name of a brand that you have never heard of before, you want to avoid it at all costs. Unfortunately, a lot of the medications that they are selling have had foreign vendors or foreign manufacturers, which are not FDA approved, nor regulated. So, there are a lot of carcinogenic and other concerning components in these medications. In 2019, the FDA came down very hard on dollar store conglomerates because of this. Something like 53% of the foreign-made over the counter medications at these dollar stores had concerning components and concerning for the FDA, meaning that they had things that were potentially carcinogenic things that could be potentially toxic with severe side effects long-term and short term. And so these dollar stores were hit with quite a few fines, legislation, things of that nature because they were selling these medications that were not FDA approved and could potentially be putting harm to the patients who are consuming them.
DR. TAMIKA PERRY
In fact, New York state in particular, tightened their over-the-counter selling rules because of that. And even if you go to the dollar store and you say, well, at my local dollar conglomerate, that's on the corner, I can buy Aunt Jackie's acetaminophen or Tylenol. And you're like, they're both acetaminophens, right? They're both Tylenol, correct? I still want you to look at the Tylenol because they have unfortunately been notorious for selling expired medication in which the potency isn't the same. You don't get the same effects of the headache, so you may take more. Now what happens now is you cause damage to your liver or other systems in your body.
MILTON GLUECK
I'm trying to picture it. I have not bought medicine during my dollar store visits. I've seen them and boy, they do have a lot. Everything like you said. Cough and cold, they have just the acetaminophen type drugs that they're for headaches. I mean, just about everything. It's surprising. Where do you find out where it was manufactured? And do you have to be careful about that? So, for instance, could it be kind of created in one country, but it has a U.S. label on it somehow?
DR. TAMIKA PERRY
Most certainly that does happen, and it can happen. And that's why Dr. Mobley is warning you. Maybe you want to say, is it really worth the 50 cents you may save or the 52 cents or even the two or three dollars? It's not worth it, so you might want to stick to your bigger name pharmacies in this situation. Going back to your basic question. On the box is going to say M.F. Manufactured. M.A.N.U.F. Something that symbolizes where it's manufactured at. Very near that there's going to be a stamp on there. And a lot of times it's an imprint and that stamp didn't necessarily even have to have ink on it, but it's an imprint and it tells you what that expiration date is. It's very important for you to pay attention to any medications that you buy, and it's important for you to pay attention to when you get a prescription medication from Dr. Mobley or myself, and you've had it for a while, what is the expiration date of this drug?
MILTON GLUECK
Yeah, because I hadn't thought of it, but you're right. I mean, obviously, if the expiration date has gone by, it's not as powerful. You're adjusting the dose rather than a dose being that your doctor or somebody else prescribed. Now this is fascinating stuff. My name is Milton Glueck. I'm in for Ron Aaron. You're listening to Docs in a Pod. I'm going to remind you that our guest today is Dr. Brooke Mobley. She is telling us about dollar store medication and our co-host is Dr. Tamika Perry and we're having an interesting discussion on this. Let me tell you really quick before we take a quick break, where you find Docs in a Pod. Docs in a Pod is broadcast throughout several cities in Texas and Florida. And you know what? You can listen to the Docs in a Pod podcast wherever you get your podcast. You'll find a connection to Docs in a Pod there as well. Alright guys let's take a quick break and we'll come back and talk a little bit more about this because it's an important issue. We'll find out why in a second. Back after this with more Docs in a Pod.
AD
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MILTON GLUECK
Welcome back to Docs in a Pod. I'm Milton Glueck in for on assignment, Ron Aaron. You're going to love this portion of the show. We have our co-host, Dr. Tamika Perry. And our guest today is Dr. Brooke Mobley. And we are talking about dollar store medication. During the break, we were discussing a couple of things, and it really is a fascinating issue. I'll throw it to Dr. Mobley. Have we covered everything from the negatives of kind of what you should look out for when you're viewing medicine from a dollar store? You mentioned where it was made. You mentioned the expiration date. What else? Anything else?
DR. BROOKE MOBLEY
Honestly, those are going to be your two major things. One, you're going to want to stick to the medications that have the brand names that you are aware of. If it is a brand name you do not know, then stay away from it. If it is manufactured outside of the United States, stay away from it. If the expiration date is within one week of you purchasing the item or more, then you should stay away from it because we're not buying medication to take just for seven days. A lot of times these medications are going to sit on our shelves for four to six months. So, you don't want to buy a medication that is already expired or expiring within the next month or so because you're just setting yourself up to be affected by expired medication. People always ask why is that important? Well, think about it. You don't go to the grocery store and comfortably buy a loaf of bread or even better a gallon of milk if it is expired. You do not want to intake food that you know is expired and medication is the same exact way. You do not want to consume something that has met its expiration date. Honestly, something that is going to meet its expiration date within seven days of you purchasing the item. Those are going to be your high-alert things when buying medications from dollar store conglomerates.
DR. TAMIKA PERRY
I would also take the same stance. A lot of us do online shopping with the advent of the Internet and online purchasing. I hardly ever go into the store anymore. Even with over-the-counter stuff, I will order it sometimes online. So, I want you to be very cognizant when you're ordering stuff from the big-name places online to also look at. They are supposed to publish the expiration date, the manufacturer. If you get it and it's expired, feel free to send it back. We need you to be careful in all aspects. We also need you to be careful when you are thinking about discounted products with supplements also. We know that herbal vitamins and supplements are not regulated as stringently by the FDA as like acetaminophen, which is Tylenol, ibuprofen, which is Motrin, or anything Brooke and I may prescribe. When you're buying your Kaloba, especially if you choose to go to the dollar store, make sure it has the U. S. Pharmacopeia seal on it or the National Foundation seal on it, a reputable seal on it that this one has been checked out. You don't want to go to the dollar store and think you're buying Kaloba and you're really buying just grass or weeds inside of a capsule.
MILTON GLUECK
Wow. I thought it was interesting too, if you all both will talk a little bit about why they're able to offer some of these medicines at such low prices, I think that's educational as well as to what to look out for.
DR. BROOKE MOBLEY
The dollar store conglomerates, and this is how they purchase all of the products that they sell to consumers is they buy them in bulk, and they buy them in a much larger bulk than most of the Walmart's, Targets, things of that nature So, they're buying a lot more, they're getting discounted prices. They're also buying things that are already expired or expiring very soon and at discounted prices. That's why when you go to these stores, you see that they have boxes and cases of products on their shelves that you can buy in large quantities for cheaper prices. But you are getting a lower quality product, whether it's a product that is expiring soon or a product that is poorly made. Think about it. You go to a dollar store, and you buy a set of wine glasses. You buy a set of these wine glasses, you use them one or two times, and the third time you put them in your dishwasher, they break. Why? Because most of the time they were manufactured in an international manufacturing company. They are not necessarily made to standard so they won't last as long, but because they are of cheaper price, they are more appealing, especially with people who have monetary issues or financial difficulties. The same way we are aware, and it is apparent that maybe their product is not as effective or efficient as a product you would get from say Walmart or another big conglomerate store, the same thing is with medications. You are buying something that most likely is going to be close to expiration or expired, something that is manufactured in a foreign country, which has a lot of different concerning components and additives to it. You have to be very cautious of what you are buying. I also strongly suggest do not buy more than one package at a time. If you are going there for acetaminophen, then buy one bottle of it. Don't buy 10 because it seems very appealing to buy 10 bottles at a much lower cost than you would spend at a higher end store. Buy one bottle or one package at a time. If you need another one within a certain timeframe, then buy another one, just because a lot of them are going to be expiring soon and you don't want something on your shelf that you know for a fact is going to expire before you use it.
DR. TAMIKA PERRY
Now, mind you, none of these conglomerates make drugs. They buy them from manufacturers and then they put their name on them, right? They'll put whatever their name is on them and say, dollar store conglomerate X is Tylenol or acetaminophen. So, a lot of those people they buy from have been fined by the FDA because they cut corners. Not only will the store itself sell the expired drug, but like Dr. Mobley said earlier, they have carcinogens in them because they'll skip a few steps in the testing. There's a reason why it's cheaper. They didn't have to do those extra tests. They make them in bulk so be weary. And I'm cheap, y'all. It is ingrained in me to be frugal, but in a lot of instances you get what you pay for. We're not advocating that you spend your hard earned money just for a name, we're asking you to for your health and for quality.
MILTON GLUECK
We just got a few minutes left. You both during the break mentioned situations where you knew people where the most convenient place that they had access to, sometimes the only place they had access to was going to be that dollar store. What are our alternatives? What's the positive side? If I'm listening to this and I get it, what are our alternatives? What can I do to find the right medicine at the right price?
DR. TAMIKA PERRY
One silver lining, and then I'm going to give it to Dr. Mobley, is that we're not saying 100% of the medicine is bad. If you have no choice, like Dr. Mobley said, if you go there for your headache, look at the expiration date, buy the Tylenol, not Aunt Jackie's acetaminophen, and no offense to Aunt Jackie. Buy the Tylenol, buy the name brand. And typically, that name brand is going to be cheaper at that dollar conglomerate than it is at Walmart. The second silver lining is that in the land of the internet, just like I want you to check the manufacturers of those internet buyers or those internet stores, you can also get your Tylenol from there too. So, if you're not close, you can get it to come to your house.
MILTON GLUECK
That seems like a good solution. Anything else on that, Dr. Mobley?
DR. BROOKE MOBLEY
I think Dr. Perry hit it on the head. There are going to be areas where these may be the only stores that you have access to, especially in rural areas. And in that event, as long as you take the precautions we discussed earlier, you should be okay, but also there are a lot of online opportunities and entities from larger companies or companies that are more pharmaceutical driven where they can ship those items to your house. And if you are shipping those items to your house, you can use your HSA. If you have an HSA, you can use your HSA to purchase those items if you have those insurance carrier benefits, but there are numerous options to getting medications that you require in the event the typical stores are not at arms-reach for you.
DR. TAMIKA PERRY
And if you're unsure, you can always look on the FDA's website and it'll tell you the products that have been recalled from the products and the stores. So that would kind of give you a clue. Along the lines of what Dr. Mobley was saying, many of our patients, particularly our seniors, have over the counter benefits they can utilize online. So, they can go online with their insurance money and buy a reputable medication that's in their best interest.
MILTON GLUECK
I didn't think about that. Are they the equivalent to Amazon?
DR. TAMIKA PERRY
Through their insurance, yes.
MILTON GLUECK
Very interesting. So, it pays to learn about those opportunities. Some of the places that I've been to really have just about everything. So, it's really quite tempting. This has been very enlightening. Anything else that you can think of?
DR. TAMIKA PERRY
I'll let Dr. Mobley give us our closing tips on when we are looking for discounted drugs if we have to.
MILTON GLUECK
You got it.
DR. BROOKE MOBLEY
I would say that in the world that we currently live in, we know how important it is to save on cost and in no way, shape, or form do we want people to break the bank and purchase medication or other health care needs. But what's going to be important is being informative of what you're buying, knowing what to look out for, and being comfortable enough to contact your health care provider in the event there is a question you are unable to answer for yourself. And they will be able to guide you to a place where you can safely buy medication that is cost effective, that is going to be efficient and as safe as possible for you and your family.
MILTON GLUECK
Perfect. Well said. All right. Dr. Mobley, thank you very much for coming on the show. Great information. Dr. Perry, thank you for sitting in with me today. We're going to say goodbye. I'm Milton Glueck and this is Docs in a Pod.
OUTRO
Executive Producers for Docs in a Pod are Dan Calderon and Lia Medrano. Associate Producers, Cherese Pendleton. Thank you for listening to Docs in a Pod, presented by WellMed. We welcome your emails with suggestions and comments on this program at radio@wellmed.net and be sure to listen next week to Docs in a Pod, presented by WellMed.
DISCLAIMER
This transcript is generated using a podcast editing tool; there may be small differences between this transcript and the recorded audio content.
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