HW4: High Blood Pressure Medicine

1
HW4 High Blood Pressure Medicine

• It can save your life,
• but can you afford it?

2
Welcome to Web Activity 2. This site contains
the instructions and reference information you
will need for the activity. Answers may not be
submitted electronically. Answer the questions
on paper and turn in the assignment in class on
the due date. In this activity you will be asked
to create graphs. You may use the graphing
software of your choice (Microsoft Excel, for
example).
3
Treatments for High Blood Pressure

• Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of
  death in the US.
• High blood pressure is a significant risk factor
  for both myocardial infarction and stroke.
• High blood pressure can be treated with drugs,
  but these can be expensive.
• A recent clinical trial involving more than
  33,000 patients compared the efficacy of three
  different types of blood pressure reducing drugs.
  (Major Outcomes of High Risk Hypertensive
  Patients Randomized to Angiotensin-Converting
  Enzyme Inhibitor or Calcium Channel Blocker vs.
  Diuretic JAMA 12-18-02, 28823. Retrieved
  online 12-18-03 from http//www.current-reports.co
  m/cr_linkout_frmst.cfm?issn1522-6417vol5page2
  93 )
• Chlorthalidone, a diuretic. (usual dose 25
  mg/day)
• Lisinopril, an ACE inhibitor, for which there is
  a generic available. (usual dose 5 mg/day)
• Amlodipine (Norvasc), a calcium channel blocker
  for which no generic is available (5 mg/day)

4
Your Assignment

• How much would a one year supply of each of the
  three drugs cost if you buy your prescriptions
  online at Walgreens and do not have health
  insurance? Present your answer as a bar graph.
• Listen to this story from NPR
• 12-10-03 Boston to Buy Canadian Drugs

• What is the annual cost for these three drugs
  if you purchase them in Canada at Canadian
  Prescription Drugstore? Add a second series of
  bars in your graph to compare them to US costs.

5
References

• For additional exploration in issues related to
  this issue from NPR studios
• 12-08-03 Canada Drug Trial
• 11-20-03 Medicare Plan Would Ban Canadian
  Drugs
• 9-29-03 Why Canadian Drugs Are Cheaper
• 8-07-03 - Pfizer Vies to Block Canadian
  Drug Re-Imports
• 7-29-03 Canada Drugs
• For a free audio player which can be used to
  listen to the above files go to
• http//www.npr.org/audiohelp/audioplayers.ht
  ml
• Image one retrieved 12-16-03 from
  http//www.canadiandrugsdirect.com/canadian_discou
  nt_prescription_drugs.htm
• Image two retrieved 12-16-03 from
  http//www.generic-pharmacy.com/