To answer your question. Drug Prices will Never come Down.
Drug Prices are like Cable Prices they are never coming Down.
Drug Prices are like Cable Prices they are never coming Down.
You're absolutely right. I wouldn't wish the American, for profit, healthcare 'system' on my worst enemy. BTW, omeprazole here is over the counter, and cheap. But I digress. Last Summer, I had emergency heart surgery got a pacemaker installed, spent 9 days in hospital in Germany. The bill was 1/2 page long, and was less than 9,000€! Here, they bill for every aspirin, and just the room in my local cardiac care unit (like I was in in Germany) would be $10,000 per day! And the off the shelf price for the pacemaker would be $50,000 without installation! It's ridiculous!Drug companies will charge what they want because insurance companies will pay and pass the costs on to the customer.
I was prescribed a one month course of Omeprazole and all I had to pay was the one off prescription fee of £8. Of course I'm paying taxes for the NHS but nothing close to what American's are paying in insurance and additional costs. The NHS may have its faults but I'll certainly take it over the insurance system.
I know I should switch but hate to make a change from what has worked for me for 7 or 8 years now.
Is this a new Cardiologist?I just refilled my Pradaxa (anti-coagulant) . Even with my Medicate Plan D plan a 90 day supply cost me $608. Eliquis, another anti-coagulant which my Cardiologist tells me he actually prefers only costs half as much. I know I should switch but hate to make a chenge from what has worked for me for 7 or 8 years now. Stupid, I know...
George
I just refilled my Pradaxa (anti-coagulant) . Even with my Medicate Plan D plan a 90 day supply cost me $608. Eliquis, another anti-coagulant which my Cardiologist tells me he actually prefers only costs half as much. I know I should switch but hate to make a chenge from what has worked for me for 7 or 8 years now. Stupid, I know...
George
Is this a new Cardiologist? If he/she prefers Eliquis, why are you on Pradaxa?
It is me, not my Cardiologist. I had 2 strokes some 6 or 7 years ago and haven't had another one while using Pradaxa. The truth is that I'm afraid to switch...
George
It is me, not my Cardiologist. I had 2 strokes some 6 or 7 years ago and haven't had another one while using Pradaxa. The truth is that I'm afraid to switch...
George
10 Most Expensive Generic Drugs in the US
============================
Drug Cash Price
sildenafil $279
duloxetine $188
oseltamivir $133
omeprazole $132
atorvastatin $121
clopidogrel $114
montelukast $106
escitalopram $104
bupropion xl $102
tamsulosin $86
2) Duloxetine
Topping the chart, with 30-day prices reaching well beyond $180, is duloxetine(Cymbalta). Used to treat depression, anxiety, fibromyalgia, and nerve pain associated with diabetes, duloxetine is covered by most commercial insurance plans — about 95% in fact. But for those of you who might lack coverage for it, shelling out over $150 per month can be too much.
Source: GoodRX
I don't take docs at their word on meds, anymore...
A gastroenterologist prescribed Pantoprazole (a PPI) for my acid-reflux. Within a few months, I was seeing a kidney-specialist for kidney disease. Well, there's literature online associating PPI's with kidney disease. So I stopped taking it, and within two months, my kidneys returned to normal. The doc said the studies are not definitive and the issue is not settled.
My reply: "Based on my anecdotal evidence, the issue is settled for me."
.
We use goodrx all the time, most semi popular stuff is cheaper than no insurance prices. My sister in law takes some sort of cancer drug, and her price on GoodRX was cheaper than the insurance co-payment. For Montelukast which was mentioned above, Goodrx says the price is $0 at Kroger if you get their annual membership there, $36 per year if you look at it that way. With no insurance. It's $10 at Sams Club.
Many generics have gone way up over the past several years. Hydroxychloroquine, which I take to prevent hives, is $6 at Kroger with membership according to Goodrx, which is ok as I used to pay $12 5 years ago and then it had gone up to close to $800 for a year or so.
Taking the top price increase on the list, Sildenafil 100mg, on GoodRx shows a coupon that gets 30 for $30 at Krogers. No subscription, no membership, no fees, just print the coupon. The article says it’s almost $300 for 30.
Didn’t bother to check the rest of the list but I wonder if there are similar situations and also how GoodRx manages to make money if they just give away coupons. OTOH, if it only cost pennies to make the $1 tablet, there’s enough for everybody in the food chain.
Cheers
Egret1986,
If you are dealing with pain, I would encourage you to try the Cymbalta (duloxetine). It’s the only medication that has helped with my fibromyalgia and RA pain. I tried several others but Cymbalta has really worked well. I take it at bedtime and don’t have any problem with side effects.