topic Re: Medication rip-off? in Wellness

Medication rip-off?

lovesrecess — Tue, 26 Jun 2018 03:19:13 GMT

DH has been taking prescribed time-released niacin for several years...insurance just changed a few months ago and it Is now costing him $100 for 30 pills...he takes one daily...today I ordered the same thing, different brand, for $14.48 from Amazon. How do drug companies get away with this? Outrageous.

Re: Medication rip-off?

GCR18 — Tue, 26 Jun 2018 03:25:16 GMT

That is a rip off. I haven't come across anything that exaggerated. I used to go to Walgreens for prescriptions until the work plan changed. Now we can only use CVS. I wasn't paying alot, but CVS was cheaper.

Re: Medication rip-off?

resort gal — Tue, 26 Jun 2018 04:53:23 GMT

I had been getting 4 Amoxicillin that I take before my Dentist appt. from Target for

a number of years and it was always $4.00. Then they switched to CVS and the

last two refills were $10.78. I took a new prescription to Walmart and it was again

$4.00, with or without insurance. I had the same insurance that I had at Target so

how come such a big differance in price? Never went back!

Re: Medication rip-off?

sissel — Tue, 26 Jun 2018 05:00:17 GMT

well I am half done, my DD went threw metal &phycial

Re: Medication rip-off?

sissel — Tue, 26 Jun 2018 05:10:23 GMT

sorry but these dr.'s ger a kick back when they prescripts it's not just Drs. it's the perscription too. Everyone wins. Big money with the meds.

Re: Medication rip-off?

BirkiLady — Tue, 26 Jun 2018 05:48:00 GMT

I don't believe that physicans receive any kind of monetary benefit for writing a prescription. Taking a "kick-back" would be illegal in the State in which I live (and probably all other States). No pharmacist would risk his/her license with such a scheme, either. All medications are accounted for and recorded with the drug manufacturers, insurance companies and the State to ensure such transactions do not occur. There is a check and balance in place.

ETA: Price differences vary for the same drug when made by different manufacturers. Ask about it at the pharmacy if you feel overcharged. They may not have been able to secure the same RX from the same source as previously or in time to meet your needs. My pharmacy calls and asks if I'm need the RX or am able to wait a few days for them to order from a specific manufacturer. For a couple of dollars, I don't care and ask them to fill all prescriptions and deliver them at the same time for their convenience. Saves me a trip to pick prescriptions up and saves the pharmacy an extra trip to deliver the less expensive RX. Kind of an appreciative approach I take when dealing with my local pharmacy.

You can always call around for the best price before filling your prescription the first time. I believe drug companies raise their prices in November of each year.

Re: Medication rip-off?

shaggygirl — Tue, 26 Jun 2018 11:30:05 GMT

For many years my husband went to a doctor who along with whatever else she did (I forget) only monitored his meds. He was on quite a few for different things prescribed by his other doctors. Niacin was one of the things he took, think it had to do with his cholesterol. Anyhow at one point for some reason that I forget he changed brands and it threw something off in his bloodwork. I remember she told him it was important to stick with whatever he had been using prior as they are not all the same so he did go back to the old one and that got his readings back on track. I used to (he's since passed) do the over the phone ordering for him at a place called Bronson. Might have had second word in the name, Bronson Pharmaceuticals or Bronson Vitamins or something but definitely Bronson. But never any need for a prescription for the Niacin he took. And the price was not outrageous.

Re: Medication rip-off?

Imaoldhippie — Tue, 26 Jun 2018 11:50:39 GMT

Having worked for doctors for many years, I know for a fact that they do not get kick backs for prescribing any meds.

As long as the pharmaceutical companies are allowed free rein on their prices they will continue to do so. The same with medical insurance companies.

Re: Medication rip-off?

software — Tue, 26 Jun 2018 12:39:28 GMT

Doctors don't get "kick-backs" but they sure to get perks, starting with the drug rep buying lunch for the entire staff once a week. Who knows where it ends.

Re: Medication rip-off?

151949 — Tue, 26 Jun 2018 12:46:17 GMT

I use walgreens pharmacy. A mystery to me is - all my drugs are tier 1. My copay for a 30 day supply for tier one is $3. Yet, when I go to pick them up at the drug store each of my 4, 90 day, Rx drugs has a different co pay. Instead of $9 one is $8.98 - another $6 - another is $4, but that's metformin and I know it is really cheap and only one is the actual $9. When I ask the pharmacist she says she charges what the insurance co tells her to charge. When we used to snowbird to Pa. all except the metformin were $9 at the Walgreens there. SMH.

Re: Medication rip-off?

151949 — Tue, 26 Jun 2018 12:44:40 GMT

@sissel wrote:
sorry but these dr.'s ger a kick back when they prescripts it's not just Drs. it's the perscription too. Everyone wins. Big money with the meds.

That is actually not true and is against the law.

Re: Medication rip-off?

Boehm Collector — Tue, 26 Jun 2018 12:52:48 GMT

@sissel wrote:
sorry but these dr.'s ger a kick back when they prescripts it's not just Drs. it's the perscription too. Everyone wins. Big money with the meds.

Not true! I come from a family of physicians! They do NOT get a cent for the medications they prescribe! I really am offended by your comment!!!

Re: Medication rip-off?

reiki604 — Tue, 26 Jun 2018 13:23:32 GMT

@sissel wrote:
sorry but these dr.'s ger a kick back when they prescripts it's not just Drs. it's the perscription too. Everyone wins. Big money with the meds.

Doctors do not get kickbacks for prescribing drugs and neither do pharmacists. Please don't make wild untruthlful and harmful remards about those who are entrusted to caring for your health and well being. Google is your friend to fact check your slanderous claims.

Re: Medication rip-off?

reiki604 — Tue, 26 Jun 2018 13:24:35 GMT

@software wrote:
Doctors don't get "kick-backs" but they sure to get perks, starting with the drug rep buying lunch for the entire staff once a week. Who knows where it ends.

Sorry, that was made illegal many years ago. Please fact check before you make untrue claims.

Re: Medication rip-off?

lulu1 — Tue, 26 Jun 2018 14:07:05 GMT

Both my husband and our son are physicians. They DO NOT get kickbacks for writing prescriptions.

There was a time pharma reps did provide lunch. Those days are in the past.

There are websites you can use to find where in your area the drug is cheapest.

Re: Medication rip-off?

151949 — Tue, 26 Jun 2018 14:59:54 GMT

Where I worked pharm reps would occasionally bring a lunch to our unit so that people would attend an inservice on a new drug.It was done at the invitation from the pharmacy dept heads because they were planning to introduce a new drug to their formulary and wanted staff inserviced about it.

Re: Medication rip-off?

Evie2004 — Tue, 26 Jun 2018 18:55:06 GMT

@lovesrecessis there a specific reason for taking the niacin? My husbands primary care Dr stopped recommending it a few years after the AMA stopped recognizing any benefit from taking it.

Re: Medication rip-off?

Evie2004 — Tue, 26 Jun 2018 19:04:17 GMT

drug reps used to bring lunch in regularly to the large oncology-hematology group I used to work with, until 10 employees (including Drs) became ill with hepatitis from the food..several were hospitalized..end of drug rep lunches.

Re: Medication rip-off?

SilleeMee — Tue, 26 Jun 2018 19:32:47 GMT

Overseas on-line pharmacies are making more money because of the rip-off going on here. I buy outside and it's all good. Mine are just for tretinoin and careprost, nothing critical.

Re: Medication rip-off?

lulu1 — Tue, 26 Jun 2018 20:53:40 GMT

@resort gal wrote:
I had been getting 4 Amoxicillin that I take before my Dentist appt. from Target for
a number of years and it was always $4.00. Then they switched to CVS and the
last two refills were $10.78. I took a new prescription to Walmart and it was again
$4.00, with or without insurance. I had the same insurance that I had at Target so
how come such a big differance in price? Never went back!

Today I picked up a prescription from Walgreens for 6 Amoxicillin tablets. (for a dental implant procedure) I paid $1.34.