Whats the most expensive prescription medicine you have gotten?

[aprilchem]

Before the ACA, the birth control pill I take to manage my PCOS cost $350 a month, after insurance. It is one of the few pills I can take that doesn't cause my PCOS to grow exponentially worse (and believe me, I've tried MANY).

Now it is $0 out of pocket and I'm thankful for that, but I don't expect that it will last. There have been many threats recently to remove that part of the ACA.

 

[BLAZEY]

$235 for a 3 month supply of my Ditropan. I normally take the generic but it had supply issues in the spring. Thankfully my insurance covered it 100% so I didn't pay a dime. Generic cost $36 for a 3 month supply. Insurance pays 100% of that one too.

 

[Poohlove]

All industries advertise and spend lots doing it. The car industry loves to hire sports figures and hollywood stars. Where is the outrage for the other industries?

There is a tremendous amount of money spent on R&D.

It takes 12 years for the average drug to make it to market at a cost of 1.5 billion dollars.

The outrage should be directed at countries that prohibit pharmaceutical companies from charging a price that allows them to recoup R&D costs. Those countries force the US consumer to bear the brunt of the R&D costs.

Driving a Porsche rather than a Chevy is not going to cure someone's cancer, that is hardly a comparison. You can choose what car to drive, you dont choose to have cancer or what drug you take to save your life.

I just took my daughter to the gynecologist for the first time, she has been put on the pill. She was given samples that came in a cute little pink bag coincidentally dropped off by the drug rep earlier in the week when she showed up with an elaborate spread for lunch. I know that this happens frequently because my sister works at that particular office. My former family doctor used to push pills and oddly enough they were samples dropped by drug reps who threw dinners for their best customers. How much of the cost of each drug goes to sweetening the deal for a doctor to prescribe one medication over another?

 

[Happiest.Haunt_999]

Newer Seizure medication that would be 1500$/mo WITH good insurance.
Epi Pens for 600.

 

[kdonnel]

Driving a Porsche rather than a Chevy is not going to cure someone's cancer, that is hardly a comparison. You can choose what car to drive, you dont choose to have cancer or what drug you take to save your life.

I just took my daughter to the gynecologist for the first time, she has been put on the pill. She was given samples that came in a cute little pink bag coincidentally dropped off by the drug rep earlier in the week when she showed up with an elaborate spread for lunch. I know that this happens frequently because my sister works at that particular office. My former family doctor used to push pills and oddly enough they were samples dropped by drug reps who threw dinners for their best customers. How much of the cost of each drug goes to sweetening the deal for a doctor to prescribe one medication over another?

I agree that their methods are not the greatest but price controls in European countries have forced their hands. They need to recoup the R&D costs and are prohibited from doing that in most countries outside the US. Those countries get to reap the benefits of the drug while the US consumer pays more.

 

[Poohlove]

I agree that their methods are not the greatest but price controls in European countries have forced their hands. They need to recoup the R&D costs and are prohibited from doing that in most countries outside the US. Those countries get to reap the benefits of the drug while the US consumer pays more.

Well that gets into a whole separate conversation which involves topics not allowed to be discussed in these forums. The bottom line is that it is legal thievery whatever the reasoning behind it. A person should not have to choose between taking a life sustaining medication and paying a utility bill but it happens every day.

 

[nicolita3]

My medication which is a daily injection is $8,000 a month without insurance. With insurance it is $150 a month after I have met my $2,000 deductible.

 

[Pooh2]

I use to pay a $10 co-pay for my epi pen.
I now have a $5,000 deductible so meds are not covered until I hit $5,000 out of pocket (on top of premium).
My epi pen is now $400 so I carry a bendryl gel unless I hit my deductible.

 

[Kimberle]

Nearly 20 years ago, my dd was born a preemie. She needed a RSV preventive med for her first winter. It was nearly $2000/month. I can't imagine what it would cost now. My insurance paid in full.

 

[aprilgail]

She was given samples that came in a cute little pink bag coincidentally dropped off by the drug rep earlier in the week when she showed up with an elaborate spread for lunch. I know that this happens frequently because my sister works at that particular office. My former family doctor used to push pills and oddly enough they were samples dropped by drug reps who threw dinners for their best customers. How much of the cost of each drug goes to sweetening the deal for a doctor to prescribe one medication over another?

Whenever my mom gets put on a drug that has a high co-payment for her I ask the Dr for samples and typically they have a bunch to give us. She uses some eye drop that has a 300+ co payment so every time we go tot the Dr they give us enough to last her until the next visit- been that way for well over a year now.

 

[kdonnel]

A person should not have to choose between taking a life sustaining medication and paying a utility bill but it happens every day.

Until there is a level playing field on who pays for R&D people will have to make that decision. You can’t legislate away drug R&D costs for the consumer without replacing that revenue stream.

 

[Domo]

Were it not for the NHS, I'd be paying in the region of £1,200 a month on one alone.

 

[BLAZEY]

Is it really?

The pharmaceutical companies spend 100’s of millions, sometimes billions reasearching and creating new life saving drugs.

If they don’t charge enough to recoup those expenses, who will pour the money into R&D?

Maybe for some NEW drugs. But come on,another poster talked about the cost of insulin!!!! Insulin has be around for nearly 100 years and the original Patent holder Dr Frederick Banting sold the patent to the University of Toronto for $1 in 1923. Then the drug companies jacked up the pice. Now in the US it cost more than $500 a month? They do it because they KNOW people will DIE without it

 

[Poohlove]

Whenever my mom gets put on a drug that has a high co-payment for her I ask the Dr for samples and typically they have a bunch to give us. She uses some eye drop that has a 300+ co payment so every time we go tot the Dr they give us enough to last her until the next visit- been that way for well over a year now.

That is when it works out, I would always ask for samples of my allergy medications. It worked until a different drug rep started coming in and then all of a sudden my doctor want to change my meds. Once it went over the counter I stuck with getting my pills that way.

My daughter got three months of the pill the doctor put her on. I was grateful for that but it makes me wonder if there are better more affordable options sometimes.

 

[Poohlove]

Until there is a level playing field on who pays for R&D people will have to make that decision. You can’t legislate away drug R&D costs for the consumer without replacing that revenue stream.

As I said. It comes back to a whole host of topics that are not able to be discussed in these forums.

 

[BLAZEY]

I use to pay a $10 co-pay for my epi pen.
I now have a $5,000 deductible so meds are not covered until I hit $5,000 out of pocket (on top of premium).
My epi pen is now $400 so I carry a bendryl gel unless I hit my deductible.

Yep and if you have kids with severe allergies you are supposed to have more than one. One at school with the nurse, one on the child (DD's friend has a little pouch attached to him with one epi pen in it at all times) and a couple at home. Thankfully they don't cost $400 each here.

 

[kimblebee]

Maybe for some NEW drugs. But come on,another poster talked about the cost of insulin!!!! Insulin has be around for nearly 100 years and the original Patent holder Dr Frederick Banting sold the patent to the University of Toronto for $1 in 1923. Then the drug companies jacked up the pice. Now in the US it cost more than $500 a month? They do it because they KNOW people will DIE without it

Off topic but he’s a relative

 

[crazylady]

Funny but back in 2007 when this thread began I was on a drug that was about $2500 a month and we just payed a niominal co-pays. I started back on it last year and now it is generic and only about $600 a month because it is now available in generic. Luckily, we still only pay a nominal co-pays.

 

[kdonnel]

Maybe for some NEW drugs. But come on,another poster talked about the cost of insulin!!!! Insulin has be around for nearly 100 years and the original Patent holder Dr Frederick Banting sold the patent to the University of Toronto for $1 in 1923. Then the drug companies jacked up the pice. Now in the US it cost more than $500 a month? They do it because they KNOW people will DIE without it

Nobody takes original insulin. Patients have demanded versions that allow them to better control their disease. Patients have demanded new delivery techniques. The R&D costs of those new versions and new delivery techniques have rightfully been passed on to the consumer, who MAY DIE without it. Again European and other North American countries have legislated away the true cost for their citizens and Americans are left to bear the burden.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Back in 2004 when I was getting chemo, I went to the pharmacy one day and picked up a shopping bag full of 16 injections of Neulasta that were $2000 each, for a total of $32,000 worth of injections.

Back then, I had a $20 copay, and that was it.

I guess I was a little distracted when I got home and I stuck them in a dresser drawer.

A couple of weeks later when I went to give myself the first one, I freaked out a little when I noticed, for the first time, a warning to "Refrigerate" on the label. (I wound up with little choice but to take them anyway, and they were fine.)

Neulasta costs a lot more today - a quick search around:

• One 6 mg Neulasta injection will cost between $5,000 to $7000, depending on the supplier.
• (For 16, the cost today would be between $80,000 and $112,000!)