Carry On Chemist

Living in America gives you a whole different perspective on the world of 'drugs,' i.e., prescription drugs: they're openly advertised on TV making you think, mmmm, maybe I have that disorder?; you get to know the names of the ingredients you want/need so you're well educated at the doctors; and then you can buy them in bulk online and at the chemist (even over the counter pills are sold in giant packs, like 250 Ibuprofen instead of 12 in the UK!) So it can be a little disheartening in India, when you get a prescription for painkillers and they give you.... wait for it.... 4!! I begged and pleaded with the pharmacist who upped my prescription to.... 12!! And of course, that upped the price to a staggering 50 cents!! But before I got to the pharmacy, there was the question of the doctor - and getting the meds I wanted. I had just run out of prescription tylenol with codeine (painkillers) from the US and wanted to get a hold of a similar level of 'sledgehammer pain relief' here. When I asked the lovely (Indian) doctor for the same, you would have thought I'd asked her for heroin! She couldn't imagine where I'd got them from and why I would possibly need them, but no, they had nothing with codeine, and if they did, I certainly couldn't have it :( Maybe it's a good thing... but I swear she thought I was some kind of dealer/addict/headcase (delete as applicable). My only hope is to see my lovely (Indian) doctor in New York who is well versed with the ways of the pharmaceutical world and one's need, now and again, for something a little stronger, preferably in quantities of more than 4!