HOLY *&^%$#*!!!!!!

DH had a complete cardiac workup last month because he was having chest pains. Not surprisingly the blood tests reveled high cholesterol. The dr. put him on 20mg Lipitor daily, but wrote the prescription for Lipitor 40mg as directed so that dh could break them in half and a 90 day supply would last him 180 days. He also sent him home with a bag full of samples.

 

Well, yesterday I dropped off the script to be filled, didn't think twice about it. Went to pick it up and 90 Lipitor 40 mg. tablets with insurance came to $150.00!!!!! Holy Chit!

 

Yeah ok, so they'll last him 6 months, $300.00 a year isn't hard to swallow, but I darn sure wasn't expecting to have to pay $150.00  when I dropped off the script. I had them return it to stock, and fill it again but only a 30 day supply, which will actually last him 60 days. $50.00 hurt a lot less!

Wow!!  Talk about sticker shock!!

You can say that again! No wonder he gave him so many samples and wrote the script the way he did!  LOL, I had the same reaction the first time we filled his Veramyst; wasn't expecting a $50.00 nasal spray!

Dang drugs are terrible expensive!  My Humira costs me $40 / month - but it costs the insurance company $1400 / month.  Makes me grateful for my $800 insurance premiums.

In my hubby's previous job, a 2 ton Jib crane fell from the ceiling and hit him directly on top of his head breaking his neck and back (compression fractures), His pain mgmt dr put him on Celebrex, well Worker's Comp paid the medical bills but our pharmacy didn't accept the insurance company that his WC went through, The Pharmacist told him that the Rx would cost 365.00 did he still want it filled? He said Hell No I'll just take Advil ....sheesh.

Was the Rx written for brand name only?  If so, then that's why you got the brand name.  I never get the brand name Rxs for stuff like that; they're always filled with the generic brand.  The only brand name drugs I get are ones that there are no generics for.

That very well could be PLL, Im not sure tho, I usually get the generics also. My Neurontin is called gabapentin. Costs me ten bucks. I don't know what the brand name would cost. Pretty high I imagine.

Lipitor has no generic as yet.  I believe it's supposed to go generic in 2011, that is if they don't fool with the formulary some and not let it become a generic.   Dh is also on Lipitor, it was very nice of your Dr. to write the script the way he did, may have to see if dh Dr. will do the same next time we need to have refilled.  We do have a drug program so it doesn't cost $$$$ but still more expensive then generic would be and he's on other medications that are not generic so the $$$$ do add up.

purselamplady:

Was the Rx written for brand name only? 

 

No, if generic had been available, they could have filled it with that.

 

sstetzel:

Dang drugs are terrible expensive!  My Humira costs me $40 / month - but it costs the insurance company $1400 / month.  Makes me grateful for my $800 insurance premiums.

 

I keep complaining about our co-pays and deductibles, but the company pays for dh's insurance  and we pay for my coverage which is only $64.00 week ($256.00 month) so I really shouldn't complain. His boss did say he's working on adding Afflac to subsidize the BC/BS coverage and again, they'll pay hubby's cost.

 

Be careful who you mention it to that the doctor wrote the prescription for double the strength he's actually taking, as that's illegal and he could pay a hefty fine and also lose prescription writing privileges.  A doctor here in town was doing that to help those who couldn't afford the medicines and he ended up losing his license.

My DH ended up in hospital after chemo reacted badly - unable to eat, vomiting etc etc.  The doctor there prescribed a medication called Ondansetron ODT (Zofran ODT) as needed for nausea and vomiting. I took it to the pharmacy and they said our insurance would pay for 12 of the pills.  I'm not sure how many the Dr. prescribed.   I paid our portion and on our next visit I mentioned this to the oncologist's nurse. She floored me when she told me that full prescription would have cost around $1,000.00!!!!!  No wonder the insurance would pay for only 12 of them!

The kicker is DH didn't even need to take any, and we still have them.

 

 

If I were you I'd get the doctor to write another Rx for Zocor.  There IS a generic for it and it's just about the same thing.  I'm on Zocor and I've been on Lipitor too and I can't see a difference between the two.  Lipitor can also have rotten side effects in some people so make sure you've read the patient info that comes with the Rx.

OBB and all else!  It's NOT illegal to write a script like that! (double the dose actually taken.) the sig on the script has to say take 1/2 tab daily.

In fact BCBS has a program called the 1/2 tab program.  There are certain meds that they reccomend to do that w/ because it's cheaper for all involved that way!

Just FYI

Footsie!

Isn't it awful?  Our son has a Master degree in Animal Science and he told me that our pets take some of the same meds that humans take and for a fraction of the cost!  Thanks heavens there is a med that will help him but Holy Moly!

Molly

Limey_SE_Texas:

Ondansetron ODT (Zofran ODT)