Fuck!!!
Day off work sick. I lose a day's pay.
I go to the doctor's $40
He sees me and says you need to buy 7 prescription medications (For three different ailments at god knows what cost) and have another 2 days off.
If I win the lottery I don't care about the economic downturn I am putting BIG money into the health care sector in share investment. I will make a killing!!
I thought health care in Australia was nationalized.
That is the funny thing. It is we pay 1.5% of our taxable income to Medicare which then supports the healthcare system and public health.
Medicare does support the cost of medical appointments and so on to a specified amount but what the doctors do is charge what they like and get the customer to pay the "gap" (difference) whilst knowing that they will get a kickback from the government.
They also make more money if they have a little chemist or Pharmacy alongside their medical practice...and they all do. 
(7 prescriptions?)
It is my theory that doctors and pharmaceautical companies are in bed with each other
I remember when I was at this mental health clinic, they actually had a sales rep from a pharmaceautical company there 
My brother in law is in pharmaceauticals and he has to travel to clinics and doctors offices to teach them about how the meds work.
it makes sense. we "common civilians" expect a lot to be automatic, but how is a doctor supposed to know how a medication works if it has just recently been developed? i allready knew doctors have a responsability paying attention to a lot of reports describing new medications, and keep themselves updated.
There is that, but there also is a very aggressive marketing plan. Getting GP's to prescribe the newest meds. Also when not needed. Pharmaceuticals and doctors are not always that happy here, since the government has ruled out some prescriptions from being paid by health-insurance, unless they can make plausible that the newer, more expensive drug is needed for this particular patient in stead of a generic cheaper one.
Some patients are suffering from this, because it can be hard for them to get the right expensive medicine without having to pay it themselves. (when a cheaper med won't work). On the other hand, most people benefit from it, because cheaper, generic, meds are prescribed by default, and that keeps national health affordable.
