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Honored Contributor
Posts: 23,835
Registered: ‎03-10-2010

Re: diabetic drugs to soar in price

 

 

I am am not on any meds thank God. If I were, I probably would just stop taking my prescription if they were so outrageously priced.  I wonder if any deaths have been caused by people stop taking their life saving drug?

 

 I think it is horrible that these drug companies are raising prices to where even with insurance, the prices  are not affordable. I suppose when it gets to where no one is buying them anymore, the drug companies might consider lowering them to an affordable cost. Nice.....Or perhaps it is some deal between the insurance Companies and pharmacutical drug companies to kill off sick people? Hmmmm.....

 

Something  needs to be done.  why didn't OBC address this issue? All I see are prices for insurance plans rising....what is up with that? 

 

 

 

 

Honored Contributor
Posts: 9,139
Registered: ‎04-16-2010

Re: diabetic drugs to soar in price

There are quite a few articles/news feeds out there from today from those stating the cost if insulin and supplies has been rocketing up just like the Epi-pen but nobody got upset about it the way they did the Epi.

 

One doctor (who is also a diabetic) stated that Epi is a "just in case" situation but insulin is a DAILY MUST for people to live. She hopes that a grass-roots tidal wave changes things in the same manner it did for the Epi-pen.

 

Honestly, you can apply this same opinion/outlook to MANY drugs. 

Honored Contributor
Posts: 19,487
Registered: ‎03-16-2010

Re: diabetic drugs to soar in price

In most states, insulin does not require a prescription (unless you want your insurance to cover it) so that alone would make a difference price-wise.

 

Also, Walmart has their own brand made by NovoNordisk that is a lot less than Novo's itself.

Honored Contributor
Posts: 21,416
Registered: ‎11-03-2013

Re: diabetic drugs to soar in price

You know I am just going to say it.  It's a sin that they allow these big pharma companies to advertise on TV as the line that used to acceptable has been pushed to satisfy big pharmas limits.

 

A few years ago it was cholesterol . . . oh my goodness if you didn't get on Lipitor you were going to die of a heart attack or stroke out.  Now the phrase that pays is diabetes . . . sigh.

 

I took care of my parents for a long time (especially my mom who was a diabetic) and slowly watched how the "acceptable" ranges lowered and the new and fancy drugs that were being introduced increased.

 

Diabetes runs in my family but so does being overweight and eating a lot of bread.  We have become a very undisciplined society and find it easier to take a pill rather than get our basic health under control.  I know I went through this with my mom.  She didn't want to hear what the nutritiionist said and it was a constant struggle.

 

I do not understand why drugs that have been on the market for decades are suddenly escalating to such incredible prices as there is no R&D associated with them anymore.  For me this is just pure greed.

Honored Contributor
Posts: 12,928
Registered: ‎11-01-2010

Re: diabetic drugs to soar in price

[ Edited ]

I am fortunate not to need any prescription medications.

 

Have any of you checked into prescription assistance? You can check to see if your meds are covered at needymeds.org. And don't assume you do not qualify. 

Esteemed Contributor
Posts: 6,250
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: diabetic drugs to soar in price

You can check to see if your Dr gets payment or compensation from the drug companies

This was posted by Clark Howard's website 

https://projects.propublica.org/docdollars/

Honored Contributor
Posts: 21,416
Registered: ‎11-03-2013

Re: diabetic drugs to soar in price


@Mary Bailey wrote:

You can check to see if your Dr gets payment or compensation from the drug companies

This was posted by Clark Howard's website 

https://projects.propublica.org/docdollars/


@Mary Bailey great post, thank you for this!  It's always good to shed light on these situations as I was happy to know my doctor was not on the list . . . . good on you!

Honored Contributor
Posts: 18,504
Registered: ‎05-23-2010

Re: diabetic drugs to soar in price

[ Edited ]

The elephant in the room, which I touched on in another post, is DOCTORS.

 

If doctors did not automatically and routinely prescribe the absolute newest, shiniest, most expensive and least-tested drugs, IMO it would help cut down on the insane pricing. If they weren't so quick to prescribe it, they couldn't demand the high prices.

 

People think they "need", "must have", "will be sick without", etc. WHATEVER their doctor specifically prescribes and *nothing else will work.* It's not true, but if the patient *accepts* that and believes it, they choose to go without medication because they choose to do whatever their doctor says, NO QUESTIONS ASKED. You can't do that.

 

In most cases (with exceptions of course, especially regarding cancer treatment), doctors have CHOICES and so do you. He/she can prescribe a generic, or similar but not identical drug that will work just well or nearly as well that costs less than half, or pennies on the dollar, of the shiny new meds.

 

Doctors don't have time any more to spend hours reading study results and all of the literature there is in their area of expertise. Most of them rely on the drug company reps to tell them what's hot, and they feel they're doing their best for their patients by prescribing the newest proprietary drugs. It's the easy way out.

 

OTOH, my personal feeling about a good doctor who has the welfare of all their patients in mind would be to think of the newest AND the most cost-effective at the same time, weigh the advantages/disadvantages of each, and off er the patient a choice.

Life without Mexican food is no life at all
Honored Contributor
Posts: 18,415
Registered: ‎11-25-2011

Re: diabetic drugs to soar in price

The REAL elephant in the room is...

Type 2 diabetes is a modern day illness with a modern day cure.

 

All this moaning & groaning when the answer is

NOT to have Type 2 Diabetes in the first place.

 

Low Fat, Whole Foods, Plant Based diet.

 

People blame Pharma, Insurance, Doctors, Genetics...anyone

but themselves.  Something as simple, quick, easy, cheap & ethical?

Oh, yeah...that's right....'cuz changing your diet is too hard.

 

All the low carb stuff isn't working.

Double the price of Insulin for Type 2 Diabetics...then maybe 

the General Public will hear the message for dietary changes.

CORRECT dietary changes.  

 

Honored Contributor
Posts: 21,416
Registered: ‎11-03-2013

Re: diabetic drugs to soar in price


@sidsmom wrote:

The REAL elephant in the room is...

Type 2 diabetes is a modern day illness with a modern day cure.

 

All this moaning & groaning when the answer is

NOT to have Type 2 Diabetes in the first place.

 

Low Fat, Whole Foods, Plant Based diet.

 

People blame Pharma, Insurance, Doctors, Genetics...anyone

but themselves.  Something as simple, quick, easy, cheap & ethical?

Oh, yeah...that's right....'cuz changing your diet is too hard.

 

All the low carb stuff isn't working.

Double the price of Insulin for Type 2 Diabetics...then maybe 

the General Public will hear the message for dietary changes.

CORRECT dietary changes.  

 


@sidsmom I more than agree with you in terms of our diets are deplorable and add more than most folks can comprehend to our illnesses but I also have to say I feel big pharma has done a ton of damage in terms of allowing people to believe that by just taking a pill they can continue on their merry (albeit incredibly unhealthy) way.

 

There is a lot of blame to be passed around here but I still hold big pharma the most accountable.