For some reason I've found myself randomly surfing blogs on the 'net and come across a few that are really quite entertaining and intriguing, but that have absolutely nothing to do with anything even remotely related to my life - one was a "Blog of Note" called "Ah yes, Medical School", and from other random "next blog" searches, I've managed to find some really entertaining/insightful ones, including a couple of doctors working for the NHS (Britain's healthcare system), like this guy HERE. It seems NHS is a frustrating bureaucracy. Go figure. Mind you, in the 1.5 months I've been here, I've been healthy (except that cold back in October), so haven't really had to take much stock of the NHS, except to get a few prescriptions refilled... but for all you Canadians back home that have had to shell out the dough for your prescriptions before your parents' insurance company will pay you back (IF you're still covered, being a student or under 21 or whatever)...

The NHS has something right!

Every prescription here is 6.50 (still haven't figured out how to do the pound sign on blogger... oy... the ONE problem with my North American keyboard). EVERY prescription. That means that my $90 (40 quid-ish) inhaler will be only about $15 here (6.50, like everything else). Now. That means that some incredibly cheap items you sometimes get overcharged for... BUT you have the option of bypassing that and telling the pharmacist that you just want to buy the bloody stuff yourself instead of going through NHS (obviously you have to have a sympathetic Dr or pharmacist (they call them 'chemists' here) that will tell you when it would be cheaper to buy it yourself, but, hey...). I'm loving this! Britain may be ridiculously expensive, but I'm saving money on ALL my prescriptions. It's great. Extra pint or two at the pub, I suppose.

Now I just need to find myself a good dermatologist... and given what these doctors and some of my flatmates are saying about the NHS, I'd better start digging around soon...