Buyers clubs

[robs2nd75]

Could someone please explain buyers clubs to me? How do they work? What are the requirements and benefits of joining?

 

[Nelson Vergel]

This will be part of an article that will be published about the history of Buyers Clubs.

"The movie Dallas Buyers Club brings attention to a little-recognized part of the AIDS activist movement: the desperate struggle to provide anything that may treat the disease when no treatment was available.
AL-721, Compound Q, Peptide T—buyers clubs formed around the country to bring in potential treatments for both the virus and its effects, whether pharmaceutical or botanical, many if not most of which were not approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or not approved for the use for which they were taken.
Vitamins and other nutritional supplements were also sold, in many instances (if not most) at deeply discounted prices.
As shown by the smuggling in the movie, there were illegal risks taken, all in the name of saving lives. Also as shown in the movie, people with AIDS risked their lives on unproven therapies, all in the hope of surviving a disease at a time when it was killing people in large numbers."


These Buyers Clubs starting disappearing after the urgency of HIV decreased due to new effective treatments. However, one still remains open in New York City (www.NewYorkBuyersClub.org). This organization has gathered years of information from consumers about supplements that have been studied in clinical research. They now sell to anyone with or without a chronic illness.

 

[Rorinsmith]

Thanks so much Nelson for your reply on this subject. It's hard for me to believe that after so many years of losing friends to AIDS and then finally having to deal with the disease myself that until I read BUILT TO SURVIVE I'd never heard of a Buyers Club. I remember sitting there reading the chapter on this and thinking out loud "Buyers Club? What's that? Where the hell have I been??" Unable to believe I was that far out of the loop I started asking people I knew if they'd heard of them and they all said no. Apparently no club was ever formed in the Pacific Northwest. You've provided some interesting information about them here and I look forward to reading more about them soon. Thanks again.
Ron

 

[George-NYBC]

This will be part of an article that will be published about the history of Buyers Clubs.

(snip for brevity)
I'm the administrator and Treatment Information guy (though Jared does quite a bit on that score as well). NYBC is indeed the last in the US. Think of Costco for an example of a buyers' club. NYBC is a bit more like a food cooperative in that we are a non-profit, members' cooperative. That means there is an annual dues of $5, $10 or $25 (or lifetime membership of $100). We intentionally keep it low to assure access (e.g., Costco is $55 per year though I think they are probably well worth it!)

Over the years, buyers' clubs did more daring stuff than we are currently doing. I.e., using the FDA's Personal Use Importation mechanism to bring in as yet unapproved drugs. Others opened buyers' clubs for medicial marijuana. We are considering that.

By and large, we focus now on "dietary supplements" that may help to slow HIV disease progression or manage antiretroviral side effects. Our work is designed to help people make good treatment choices, based on what we know, the clinical literature, the experiences of our members and others and the overall benefits, limitations, potential side effects or interactions with medicines that a supplement may have. We focus on other conditions besides HIV including Hepatitis C (which I am living with) and the myriad problems people with HIV often face, like neuropathy, diabetes and insulin resistance, heart disease, smoking and cancers.

 

[robs2nd75]

This may sound like a strange question but I do not wish to be a strain on an institution/ business that helps others, I have Type II Diabetes and would be interested as I spend a fortune on supplements, would I be benefiting the buyers club by joining or would I be detracting from the services you provide for people suffering from more serious illnesses? Thank you all for your responses!

 

[George-NYBC]

EVERYONE is welcome to join NYBC. And if we can provide you with savings, all to the good. And Diabetes is quite serious and, indeed, we're addressing it too often in the context of HIV. So no strain whatsoever in that regard. Our expertise tends to be more around the arena of HIV--and if I or others don't know an answer to a question, we try to find out if there is a good, evidence-based response. Not afraid of "I don't know" either! So come on down. It's not an exclusive community!

 

[jonathanb]

I am still trying to get into the NYBC website so I can order some supplements .. but I can't remember my password ... how do I get a new password George?

 

[nybc-it-dept]

Changing your password on the New York Buyers Club shopping cart

I am still trying to get into the NYBC website so I can order some supplements .. but I can't remember my password ... how do I get a new password George?

Hi Jonathan,
We have more than one member named Jonathan B. so I can't reset it for you, but here is how you do it:

Go to: https://nybcsecure.org/ and click on the "My Account" link at the top of the page. In the box on the right you will see "Password forgotten? Click here." so click on it. Then, enter your email address associated with your membership and we will send you what you need.

After that, it is wise to change your password (as we just emailed it to you, so to be safe...) login and click on the "My Account" link again, then click on "Change my account password." and you can change it to something both secure and memorable.

Some reminders: Change your passwords often. Never, ever share the same password among social media, your bank, online stores and the like. In the event that your account is compromised, in one place (even due to no fault of your own), bandits often use bot networks to try the same password, email and username all over the internet in a matter of seconds.

If you have any issues, PM me here with your full name and email address and I'll reset it for you.

All the best,
NYBC Tech Support

 

[jonathanb]

NYBC Closing as of September 1st .. orders should be in before August 22nd .. sad isn't it?

 

[Nelson Vergel]

No, that is not true. They sent an email today saying an angel investor saved them.

 

[jonathanb]

Wow that is fantastic. Thanks for letting me know.