Shipping pills to the poor ?

[( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)]

Here's the scenario. Please consider all the factors before replying. Thanks!



A Christian man and his wife live overseas in poverty. The wife struggles with severe anxiety, but the couple have no insurance and no money to pay for medicine that would help her.



How ethical would it be to do the following: Ship the same pills to them that a healthcare provider has already said would benefit her. However, keep in mind, they have no money to afford the medicine. But the laws of the land state that doing this is illegal.



I can give more details if some of you need more to add to this, but for now I will stop. What do you think?

 

[majj27]

I'm assuming you mean Person A buys the pills and ships them to Person B, who needs them?

Assuming person B has a valid prescription and person B is simply acting as a purchasing agent (no different than me picking up my wife's medicine on my way home rather than her making an extra trip), I'd consider that perfectly reasonable, assuming certain checks are done to make sure that person A is just picking up the medicine validly for person B. Can't see a lot of an issue from a purely ethical examination either.

As for shipping it outside the country, that gets tricky because then you've potentially got TWO sets of laws to navigate.

 

[majj27]

.

 

[( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)]

This would totally circumvent the law. It's completely illegal.

 

[majj27]

This would totally circumvent the law as it's totally illegal.

That's a rough choice then.

 

[Waterwerx]

Here's the scenario. Please consider all the factors before replying. Thanks!



A Christian man and his wife live overseas in poverty. The wife struggles with severe anxiety, but the couple have no insurance and no money to pay for medicine that would help her.



How ethical would it be to do the following: Ship the same pills to them that a healthcare provider has already said would benefit her. However, keep in mind, they have no money to afford the medicine. But the laws of the land state that doing this is illegal.



I can give more details if some of you need more to add to this, but for now I will stop. What do you think?

What do I think? Here's what I think: This is a stupid question. If money is the issue, why not send them money with which to buy the prescribed drug(s) instead of illegally sending them the drug(s)? Regardless of the intent, US Customs will not make any exception to the rules.
My guess is that this would involve sending a controlled substance, which would be both illegal and stupid. The sender would not only get themselves in trouble, but also the person(s) who receive it as well.

 

[dreadnought]

Here's the scenario. Please consider all the factors before replying. Thanks!



A Christian man and his wife live overseas in poverty. The wife struggles with severe anxiety, but the couple have no insurance and no money to pay for medicine that would help her.



How ethical would it be to do the following: Ship the same pills to them that a healthcare provider has already said would benefit her. However, keep in mind, they have no money to afford the medicine. But the laws of the land state that doing this is illegal.



I can give more details if some of you need more to add to this, but for now I will stop. What do you think?

I disagree with your premise. You shouldn't treat anxiety with medicine unless there is a medical reason. Anxiety is usually the result of a defective lifestyle, I believe.

 

[Willie T]

I would just send money if they can buy in their country. If they are not permitted to purchase the meds, I would probably ship it if I could get ahold of it.

 

[dreadnought]

I would just send money if they can buy in their country. If they are not permitted to purchase the meds, I would probably ship it if I could get ahold of it.

Meds for anxiety?

 

[SkyWriting]

Here's the scenario. Please consider all the factors before replying. Thanks!



A Christian man and his wife live overseas in poverty. The wife struggles with severe anxiety, but the couple have no insurance and no money to pay for medicine that would help her.



How ethical would it be to do the following: Ship the same pills to them that a healthcare provider has already said would benefit her. However, keep in mind, they have no money to afford the medicine. But the laws of the land state that doing this is illegal.



I can give more details if some of you need more to add to this, but for now I will stop. What do you think?

There are other solutions for anxiety. People have dealt with this problem for 1000's of years.

 

[Abaxvahl]

Here's the scenario. Please consider all the factors before replying. Thanks!



A Christian man and his wife live overseas in poverty. The wife struggles with severe anxiety, but the couple have no insurance and no money to pay for medicine that would help her.



How ethical would it be to do the following: Ship the same pills to them that a healthcare provider has already said would benefit her. However, keep in mind, they have no money to afford the medicine. But the laws of the land state that doing this is illegal.



I can give more details if some of you need more to add to this, but for now I will stop. What do you think?

Assuming the crux of the question would be breaking the law in this circumstance, the answer would be not doing it (at least from a Christian perspective), as we are told to follow the laws (though you can passively not do them if they require you to do an active sin like killing and passively accept the consequences of your rebellion).

 

[Willie T]

Meds for anxiety?

Here you will first find a list of all the major medications and the problems they address. Then you will see each of the major problems (panic attacks, generalized anxiety, and so forth), with descriptions of the commonly recommended medications for that difficulty.

(I gratefully acknowledge James Ballenger, MD for his review of this section.)

BENZODIAZEPINES
•alprazolam (Xanax) panic, generalized anxiety, phobias, social anxiety, OCD
•clonazepam (Klonopin) panic, generalized anxiety, phobias, social anxiety
•diazepam (Valium) generalized anxiety, panic, phobias
•lorazepam (Ativan) generalized anxiety, panic, phobias
•oxazepam (Serax) generalized anxiety, phobias
•chlordiazepoxide (Librium) generalized anxiety, phobias

BETA BLOCKERS
•propranolol (Inderal) social anxiety
•atenolol (Tenormin) social anxiety

TRICYCLIC ANTIDEPRESSANTS
•imipramine (Tofranil) panic, depression, generalized anxiety, PTSD
•desipramine (Norpramin, Pertofrane and others) panic, generalized anxiety, depression, PTSD
•nortriptyline (Aventyl or Pamelor) panic, generalized anxiety, depression, PTSD
•amitriptyline (Elavil) panic, generalized anxiety, depression, PTSD
•doxepin (Sinequan or Adapin) panic, depression
•clomipramine (Anafranil) panic, OCD, depression

OTHER ANTIDEPRESSANTS
•trazodone (Desyrel) depression, generalized anxiety

MONOAMINE OXIDASE INHIBITORS (MAOIs)
•phenelzine (Nardil) panic, OCD, social anxiety, depression, generalized anxiety, PTSD
•tranylcypromine (Parnate) panic, OCD, depression, generalized anxiety, PTSD

SELECTIVE SEROTONIN REUPTAKE INHIBITORS (SSRIs)
•fluoxetine (Prozac) OCD, depression, panic, social anxiety, PTSD, generalized anxiety
•fluvoxamine (Luvox) OCD, depression, panic, social anxiety, PTSD, generalized anxiety
•sertraline (Zoloft) OCD, depression, panic, social anxiety, PTSD, generalized anxiety
•paroxetine (Paxil) OCD, depression, panic, social anxiety, PTSD, generalized anxiety
•escitalopram oxalate (Lexapro) OCD, panic,depression, generalized anxiety, social anxiety, PTSD, generalized anxiety
•citalopram (Celexa) depression, OCD, panic, PTSD, generalized anxiety

SEROTONIN-NOREPINEPHRINE REUPTAKE INHIBITORS (SNRIS)
•venlafaxine (Effexor) panic, OCD, depression, social anxiety, generalized anxiety
•venlafaxine XR (Effexor XR) panic, OCD, depression, social anxiety, generalized anxiety
•duloxetine (Cymbalta) generalized anxiety, social anxiety, panic, OCD

MILD TRANQUILIZER
•buspirone (BuSpar) generalized anxiety, OCD, panic

ANTICONVULSANTS
•Valproate (Depakote) panic
•Pregabalin (Lyrica) generalized anxiety disorder
•Gabapentin (Neurontin) generalized anxiety, social anxiety

 

[dreadnought]

Here you will first find a list of all the major medications and the problems they address. Then you will see each of the major problems (panic attacks, generalized anxiety, and so forth), with descriptions of the commonly recommended medications for that difficulty.

(I gratefully acknowledge James Ballenger, MD for his review of this section.)

BENZODIAZEPINES
•alprazolam (Xanax) panic, generalized anxiety, phobias, social anxiety, OCD
•clonazepam (Klonopin) panic, generalized anxiety, phobias, social anxiety
•diazepam (Valium) generalized anxiety, panic, phobias
•lorazepam (Ativan) generalized anxiety, panic, phobias
•oxazepam (Serax) generalized anxiety, phobias
•chlordiazepoxide (Librium) generalized anxiety, phobias

BETA BLOCKERS
•propranolol (Inderal) social anxiety
•atenolol (Tenormin) social anxiety

TRICYCLIC ANTIDEPRESSANTS
•imipramine (Tofranil) panic, depression, generalized anxiety, PTSD
•desipramine (Norpramin, Pertofrane and others) panic, generalized anxiety, depression, PTSD
•nortriptyline (Aventyl or Pamelor) panic, generalized anxiety, depression, PTSD
•amitriptyline (Elavil) panic, generalized anxiety, depression, PTSD
•doxepin (Sinequan or Adapin) panic, depression
•clomipramine (Anafranil) panic, OCD, depression

OTHER ANTIDEPRESSANTS
•trazodone (Desyrel) depression, generalized anxiety

MONOAMINE OXIDASE INHIBITORS (MAOIs)
•phenelzine (Nardil) panic, OCD, social anxiety, depression, generalized anxiety, PTSD
•tranylcypromine (Parnate) panic, OCD, depression, generalized anxiety, PTSD

SELECTIVE SEROTONIN REUPTAKE INHIBITORS (SSRIs)
•fluoxetine (Prozac) OCD, depression, panic, social anxiety, PTSD, generalized anxiety
•fluvoxamine (Luvox) OCD, depression, panic, social anxiety, PTSD, generalized anxiety
•sertraline (Zoloft) OCD, depression, panic, social anxiety, PTSD, generalized anxiety
•paroxetine (Paxil) OCD, depression, panic, social anxiety, PTSD, generalized anxiety
•escitalopram oxalate (Lexapro) OCD, panic,depression, generalized anxiety, social anxiety, PTSD, generalized anxiety
•citalopram (Celexa) depression, OCD, panic, PTSD, generalized anxiety

SEROTONIN-NOREPINEPHRINE REUPTAKE INHIBITORS (SNRIS)
•venlafaxine (Effexor) panic, OCD, depression, social anxiety, generalized anxiety
•venlafaxine XR (Effexor XR) panic, OCD, depression, social anxiety, generalized anxiety
•duloxetine (Cymbalta) generalized anxiety, social anxiety, panic, OCD

MILD TRANQUILIZER
•buspirone (BuSpar) generalized anxiety, OCD, panic

ANTICONVULSANTS
•Valproate (Depakote) panic
•Pregabalin (Lyrica) generalized anxiety disorder
•Gabapentin (Neurontin) generalized anxiety, social anxiety

Isn't anxiety usually the result of lifestyle choices?

 

[majj27]

Isn't anxiety usually the result of lifestyle choices?

Oh boy, I'll need to see some good,scientifically based numbers and research on that, because it's really, REALLY not helpful to blame someone who suffers from mental illness for their own condition.

 

[Paidiske]

MOD HAT ON
This thread has been moved to the Ethics & Morality forum.​

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MOD HAT OFF​

 

[Dave-W]

Isn't anxiety usually the result of lifestyle choices?

It can be, but not always. It could be from a hormonal imbalance, or other organic problem.

 

[( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)]

But is it as cut and dry as some of you may talk of it as? I know we're not there yet, but consider the tribulation period. Then, it will be illegal to sell and buy goods without the mark of the beast. I know we should go by the law of the land, but that's only if it's in keeping with not disobeying God's rules. And hasn't God said to love and give to one another?

 

[Par5]

But is it as cut and dry as some of you may talk of it as? I know we're not there yet, but consider the tribulation period. Then, it will be illegal to sell and buy goods without the mark of the beast. I know we should go by the law of the land, but that's only if it's in keeping with not disobeying God's rules. And hasn't God said to love and give to one another?

Did I read that correctly? Did you say that there will come a time when it will be illegal to buy and sell goods without the mark of the beast? What kind of beast are you talking about, a cow, a horse or what?

 

[dreadnought]

Oh boy, I'll need to see some good,scientifically based numbers and research on that, because it's really, REALLY not helpful to blame someone who suffers from mental illness for their own condition.

And yet if there is a simple lifestyle change that would cure them, maybe it would be good to let them know.

 

[majj27]

And yet if there is a simple lifestyle change that would cure them, maybe it would be good to let them know.

You're assuming quite a bit here.

a) There is a simple lifestyle change that will cure them.
b) They are capable of making that change.
c) That the person advising them is making an informed and effective diagnosis and treatment suggestion.
d) They haven't already tried it and found it to be completely ineffective.

To be honest, going to someone who suffers from anxiety due to a chemical imbalance in the brain or PTSD or the like and telling them they just need to smile more or be more thankful for what they have is almost always going to make them worse off.