Let Me Get the Medicine I Already Know I Need

I like doctors. I like pharmacists. I like insurance companies. I like the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. They all serve a purpose.

But there are certain medicines that shouldn’t require going through all of them every single time.

And I’m not talking about new diagnoses or complicated cases. I’m talking about people with established conditions who already know what works for them. I still see my doctor twice a year. I’m not trying to avoid care—I just don’t need to keep jumping through the same hoops over and over.

For instance, I need Trelegy Ellipta. One puff a day. I’ll likely need it for the rest of my life unless something better comes along. It’s already been determined that I need it to breathe. So why do I have to keep going through a doctor, a pharmacy, and an insurance company just to get it? It should just be automatically available to me.

Same with my blood pressure medication, like lisinopril. Doctors are helpful in figuring out what I need. But once that’s established, why do I have to keep jumping through hoops? I’m not saying it should be free—but it should be accessible and reasonably priced.

There’s a difference between maintenance meds, rescue meds, and acute treatments—and right now, the system treats them all the same.

Maintenance meds should be automatic once they’re established.

Rescue meds—like Albuterol—should be easy to access. It’s proven to be safe for shortness of breath. Why do I need a prescription for that? It should be on the shelf—over the counter—like Tylenol or Ibuprofen.

And yes, people worry about overuse. But the real issue isn’t the albuterol—it’s the uncontrolled asthma behind it. That’s where doctors come in. It’s called education and follow-up, not restriction.

Hell, epinephrine inhalers are generally considered more risky than albuterol, and they’re already available over the counter. If the goal is safety, then give people better options, not fewer. I’d bet the use of epinephrine inhalers would drop off pretty fast if albuterol were just as easy to get.

Then there are acute treatments like corticosteroids, such as prednisone. I understand these need more oversight. But if I’m having an asthma flare and I’ve been down that road before, there should be a faster, easier way to access them than paying $40 just to be told what I already know I need.

Right now, they tell me I need a refill. My doctor has me come into the office twice a year. I pay $40 for that visit. Then I pay whatever price the pharmaceutical company and insurance decide. And after insurance, I’m sure the system is making a lot more than that $40.

So let me just get the medicine I need.

Of course, I’m not saying you shouldn’t see your doctor regularly. They’re needed to monitor your health and adjust medications when necessary. But once it’s established that I benefit from a certain dose, why do I have to call for a refill every six months? Why not just auto-renew it unless something changes?

It would save patients a lot of stress—and a lot of money.

And honestly, it would make the system work the way it was supposed to in the first place.