I hate being sick. Lying on the couch next to a wastepaper basket full of tissues (I’m not loving these tissues, the term “2-ply” is being used very loosely here) I find myself once again fantasising about American Medicine. That’s right, this has happened before.
I first discovered the desert oasis that is the American pharmacy when I got sick on a trip to the US some years ago. I hope calling it an oasis doesn’t seem insensitive — I know Americans don’t have a national health service and that’s probably why over-the-counter medicine has to work harder there. People need it. But as a UK citizen who has lost faith in our over-the-counter medicines, having access to stuff that actually works, and fast, is nothing short of miraculous. I like to bring something home to break in case of emergency.
I think our National Health Service is absolutely wonderful, but there are memes about this — if you can walk and talk, you’re fine. Go have a cup of tea and a biscuit, take a wee nap. Here’s some paracetamol you could have picked up at your local Boots. I mean, I do believe in the natural approach — the body can and should take care of itself in most cases, it just needs rest. When you’re down with the flu, however, and you just want to get back to being a functioning human being as soon as possible, “Have you tried taking a nice warm bath?” is not what you want to hear. In sharp contrast, the last time I was in the US, I discovered something called “cold-shortening lozenges”, which combines two of my favourite things: not being sick, and candy.
Besides flu medicine, something else I like to bring home from trips across the pond, something I learned from JR, is melatonin. Here in the UK, this godsend for restless nighttime minds is a prescription-only drug. If you’re having trouble sleeping, the closest thing you can get without a prescription is probably tea (yes, tea again) with a bit of valerian root in it. It’s just not the same.
I’m kind of fascinated by the way our cultural differences extend even to our approach to over-the-counter medicine. The UK is notoriously overprotective of its citizens — to the point where it’s known as the “nanny state” — whereas in the US, adults seem to be treated a lot more like adults. It makes me wonder about the worldview of the people who make healthcare decisions and legislation, both here and in the US. One thing they seem to have in common is an almost fanatical dedication to capitalism, so why is it that everyday, over-the-counter medicine which keeps the system running smoothly, is offered in “MAX STRENGTH” in the US, and “extra watered-down” in the UK?
And I know, I know — neither health care system is perfect, but as I lay on my couch sucking on my very last cherry Cold-Eze, I do wish His Majesty’s subjects had more agency to deal with something as simple as the flu.
This blog post first appeared on whatgoesinmustcomeout.substack.com
