Matilda was prescribed a seizure medicine that cost $150 a month.
The pharmacist said that was expensive and offered some solutions.
At her 6 month follow up with a specialist ($$$) I brought up that it was quite expensive and offered up the solutions from the pharmacist. They were for adults so he suggested checking out different pharmacies.
Downloaded an app, researched other medicines, polled the audience and found out that some pharmacies were super expensive to fill through, and others quite a bit cheaper. Was I thrilled that this was not told to me by the doctor, not in the slightest! I felt like a victim of pharmaceuticals in my child’s illness.
We paid a little bit less, but not tons, by finding a cheaper pharmacy.
1 year follow up, everything is going well except paying a lot for the medicine. (I acknowledge it isn’t even that expensive compared to what some have to pay.) So he offers a suggestion to another medicine option. (Ben thinks maybe it’s because she’s in a higher weight and can take a heartier medicine?) So he sends the prescription in to swap it out thinking it might be a little cheaper.
I picked it up tonight. It costs $6.
Six dollars!!!!
I’m obviously delighted that it is a tiny amount.
But if I could have found that a year ago? All the money I could have saved? If it was her weight just tell me so I don’t wonder myself to death? Why are there even such things as generic if it’s the same thing? Why is it legal to exploit people in their medicinal needs?
Exploit brands of hair products, makeup, clothes, sure!! Hike up the prices!
But not medicine.
I run the 5ks to help fund better ways to heal our bodies. I’m willing to pay tax dollars, or help solicit donations for private funds to cure things.
I don’t understand how I could do my part to ask all the right questions and be in this position.
I also recognize I’m in a really great place to even be able to afford the first medicine in the first place. Part of my rage is thinking about anyone else who can’t? What then? Children die? My heart is a mess.
Pharmaceuticals and insurance are horrifying.
How do I effect a change in our system?
Yeah medication prices are something I've yet to understand. Frustrating that another drug that's basically the same is so much cheaper and it wasn't offered to you IMMEDIATELY.
ReplyDeleteIn the meantime, we can at least be grateful to live in a time where there ARE medical solutions that are helpful even if they are expensive.
That's INSANE!!!! Ugh. It's such a greedy industry sometimes.
ReplyDelete