Re: Need Medication.....but no insurance!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Guest guest]

>

> Unvelievable.......are these price markups legal?

>

> All this time i've been paying so much for my meds and Costco has

> them for less? This makes me so angry. I can't wait to go to

Costco

> on Saturday.

>

> Thanks for the great information

>

>

The biggest difference between drugs in Canada and Drugs in the

states is that in Canada it is illegal to mark up the drups.

In Canada you pay the cost of the medication plus a dispensing fee..

Where I work the dispensing fee is $8.25 but generally ranges

anywhere from $7-9 ..and they wonder why the americans run to the

border for the medication..

Although the mark up list is a little bias as it only includes the

raw cost of material..there is shipping, cost of operating

manufactuering plants including employees..distribution etc. All

this means is the mark up is not that bad but then 3000% reduced to

1500% is still outrageous.

Kats3boys

[Guest guest]

>

> Unvelievable.......are these price markups legal?

>

> All this time i've been paying so much for my meds and Costco has

> them for less? This makes me so angry. I can't wait to go to

Costco

> on Saturday.

>

> Thanks for the great information

>

>

The biggest difference between drugs in Canada and Drugs in the

states is that in Canada it is illegal to mark up the drups.

In Canada you pay the cost of the medication plus a dispensing fee..

Where I work the dispensing fee is $8.25 but generally ranges

anywhere from $7-9 ..and they wonder why the americans run to the

border for the medication..

Although the mark up list is a little bias as it only includes the

raw cost of material..there is shipping, cost of operating

manufactuering plants including employees..distribution etc. All

this means is the mark up is not that bad but then 3000% reduced to

1500% is still outrageous.

Kats3boys

[Guest guest]

CVS is very expensive. I recently got married and moved, so I changed

insurances and pharmacies. My new insurance either doesn't cover my

prescription or it is a level one drug. (I haven't called to find out

yet) A few months ago it was costing me $16 for my thyroid meds and

now it costs me $17! Thanks for the tip. Will look into Costco.

>

> I've read this before..it's enough to make you spit...their

justification

> is that the high cost is to cover the expenses detailed in research and

> development, not only of that particular medication, but of others

in the

> works..

>

> What is not so generally known is that many of the 'newly patented'

drugs

> are simple variations on existing medications and haven't involved in

> expenses to that degree, just the application for the patents, which,

> granted, are VERY expensive for drugs....

>

> And even greater expense is their promotion... not just the

commercial on

> TV and radio and magazines... but all the perks and 'incentives' offered

> to health care providers for pushing the 'drug of the week'.

>

> I have a serious attitude about this.... I was started on Synthroid with

> the freebie tabs that my endo got from the drug rep that came by....

when

> I ran out of insurance she gave me brown paper bags full of those

> freebies to keep me going until I got insurance at my new job.... they

> had tons of the stuff that were passed out monthly for the docs to dole

> out for free.... as the only thyroid medication......

>

> How do you think they are paying for those 'free samples'? Or the trips

> to Hawaii and Florida for the seminars... or the new cars.. or the

> computers... or the conventions that have about an hour of lectures

while

> they are in that Hawaiian resort each day and the rest of the time they

> enjoy 'complimentary' entertainment, food, drinks....

>

> Then you get to the pharmacy level, mentioned in your post... and the

> perceived discounts.... 1/2 the price of a name brand..... with a

mark up

> on their cost of near triple digit profits....

>

> and it's hard for some to understand the high price of insurance????

>

> And... if that all isn't enough... Folks with a messed up thyroid.... We

> are considered the 'bread and butter disease'.. yep.. that's what they

> call it... why? Cuz they can mistreat us for decades and not actually

> kill us.... but in the mean time dump a couple of dozen drugs on us to

> help us with all the symptoms that we suffer from as a result of poor

> thyroid hormone levels, that they are DETERMINED have nothing to do with

> thyroid function.

>

> They range from pain killers, to surgeries, to antidepressants.... you

> name it.... Yet if the root condition, improper thyroid function, were

> treated properly and diagnosed properly... none of these horrid symptoms

> would have us sitting in the dark at night wishing we were dead.

>

> ...stopping before I go off on an all out rant.....

>

> Topper ()

> Yahoo IM: toppertwo

> Skype: topperlinda

>

> On Thu, 19 Jan 2006 00:33:09 -0000 " jonnyblog " <jonnyblog@y...>

> writes:

> this might be helpful...

>

> COSTCO, read this

>

>

>

> Let's hear it for Costco!! (This is just mind-boggling!) Make sure

> you read all the way past the list of the drugs. The woman that

> signed below is a Budget Analyst out of federal Washington, DC

> offices.

>

>

> Did you ever wonder how much it costs a drug company for the active

> ingredient in prescription medications? Some people think it must

> cost a lot, since many drugs sell for more than $2.00 per tablet. We

> did a search of offshore chemical synthesizers that supply the

> active ingredients found in drugs approved by the FDA. As we have

> revealed in past issues of Life Extension, a significant percentage

> of drugs sold in the United States contain active ingredients made

> in other countries. In our independent investigation of how much

> profit drug companies really make,

> we obtained the actual price of active ingredients used in some of

> the most popular drugs sold in America.

>

> The data below speaks for itself.

>

> Celebrex: 100 mg

> Consumer price (100 tablets): $130.27

> Cost of general active ingredients: $0.60

> Percent markup: 21,712%

>

> Claritin: 10 mg

> Consumer Price (100 tablets): $215.17

> Cost of general active ingredients: $0.71

> Percent markup: 30,306%

>

> Keflex: 250 mg

> Consumer Price (100 tablets): $157.39

> Cost of general active ingredients: $1.88

> Percent markup: 8,372%

>

> Lipitor: 20 mg

> Consumer Price (100 tablets): $272.37

> Cost of general active ingredients: $5.80

> Percent markup: 4,696%

>

> Norvasc: 10 mg

> Consumer price (100 tablets): $188.29

> Cost of general active ingredients: $0.14

> Percent markup: 134,493%

>

> Paxil: 20 mg

> Consumer price (100 tablets): $220.27

> Cost of general active ingredients: $7.60

> Percent markup: 2,898%

>

> Prevacid: 30 mg

> Consumer price (100 tablets): $44.77

> Cost of general active ingredients: $1.01

> Percent markup: 34,136%

>

> Prilosec: 20 mg

> Consumer price (100 tablets): $360.97

> Cost of general active ingredients $0.52

> Percent markup: 69,417%

>

> Prozac: 20 mg

> Consumer price (100 tablets) : $247.47

> Cost of general active ingredients: $0.11

> Percent markup: 224,973%

>

> Tenormin: 50 mg

> Consumer price (100 tablets): $104.47

> Cost of general active ingredients: $0.13

> Percent markup: 80,362%

>

> Vasotec: 10 mg

> Consumer price (100 tablets): $102.37

> Cost of general active ingredients: $0.20

> Percent markup: 51,185%

>

> Xanax: 1 mg

> Consumer price (100 tablets) : $136.79

> Cost of general active ingredients: $0.024

> Percent markup: 569,958%

>

> Zestril: 20 mg

> Consumer price (100 tablets) $89.89

> Cost of general active ingredients $3.20

> Percent markup: 2,809

>

> Zithromax: 600 mg

> Consumer price (100 tablets): $1,482.19

> Cost of general active ingredients: $18.78

> Percent markup: 7,892%

>

> Zocor: 40 mg

> Consumer price (100 tablets): $350.27

> Cost of general active ingredients: $8.63

> Percent markup: 4,059%

>

> Zoloft: 50 mg

> Consumer price: $206.87

> Cost of general active ingredients: $1.75

> Percent markup: 11,821%

>

> Since the cost of prescription drugs is so outrageous, I thought

> everyone should know about this. Please read the following and pass

> it on. It pays to shop around. This helps to solve the mystery as

> to why they can afford to put a Walgreen's on every corner. On

> Monday night, Steve , an investigative reporter for Channel 7

> News in Detroit, did a story on generic drug price gouging by

> pharmacies. He found in his investigation, that some of these

> generic drugs were marked up as much as 3,000% or more. Yes, that's

> not a typo.....three thousand percent! So often, we blame the drug

> companies for the high cost of drugs, and usually rightfully so. But

> in this case, the fault clearly lies with the pharmacies themselves.

> For example, if you had to buy a prescription drug, and bought the

> name brand, you might pay $100 for 100 pills. The pharmacist might

> tell you that if you get the generic equivalent, they would only

> cost $80, making you think you are " saving " $20. What the pharmacist

> is not telling you is that those 100 generic pills may have only

> cost him $10!

>

> At the end of the report, one of the anchors asked Mr.

> whether or not there were any pharmacies that did not adhere to this

> practice, and he said that Costco consistently charged little over

> their cost for the generic drugs.

>

> I went to the Costco site, where you can look up any drug, and get

> its online price. It says that the in-store prices are consistent

> with the online prices. I was appalled. Just to give you one example

> from my own experience, I had to use the drug, Compazine, which

> helps prevent nausea in chemo patients.

>

> I used the generic equivalent, which cost $54.99 for 60 pills at

> CVS. I checked the price at Costco, and I could have bought 100

> pills for $19.89. For 145 of my pain pills, I paid $72.57. I could

> have got 150 at Costco for $28.08.

>

> I would like to mention, that although Costco is a " membership " type

> store, you do NOT have to be a member to buy prescriptions there, as

> it is a federally regulated substance. You just tell them at the

> door that you wish to use the pharmacy, and they will let you in.

> (this is true)

>

> I went there this past Thursday and asked them. I am asking each of

> you to please help me by copying this letter, and passing it into

> your own e-mail, and send it to everyone you know with an e-mail

> address.

>

[Guest guest]

CVS is very expensive. I recently got married and moved, so I changed

insurances and pharmacies. My new insurance either doesn't cover my

prescription or it is a level one drug. (I haven't called to find out

yet) A few months ago it was costing me $16 for my thyroid meds and

now it costs me $17! Thanks for the tip. Will look into Costco.

>

> I've read this before..it's enough to make you spit...their

justification

> is that the high cost is to cover the expenses detailed in research and

> development, not only of that particular medication, but of others

in the

> works..

>

> What is not so generally known is that many of the 'newly patented'

drugs

> are simple variations on existing medications and haven't involved in

> expenses to that degree, just the application for the patents, which,

> granted, are VERY expensive for drugs....

>

> And even greater expense is their promotion... not just the

commercial on

> TV and radio and magazines... but all the perks and 'incentives' offered

> to health care providers for pushing the 'drug of the week'.

>

> I have a serious attitude about this.... I was started on Synthroid with

> the freebie tabs that my endo got from the drug rep that came by....

when

> I ran out of insurance she gave me brown paper bags full of those

> freebies to keep me going until I got insurance at my new job.... they

> had tons of the stuff that were passed out monthly for the docs to dole

> out for free.... as the only thyroid medication......

>

> How do you think they are paying for those 'free samples'? Or the trips

> to Hawaii and Florida for the seminars... or the new cars.. or the

> computers... or the conventions that have about an hour of lectures

while

> they are in that Hawaiian resort each day and the rest of the time they

> enjoy 'complimentary' entertainment, food, drinks....

>

> Then you get to the pharmacy level, mentioned in your post... and the

> perceived discounts.... 1/2 the price of a name brand..... with a

mark up

> on their cost of near triple digit profits....

>

> and it's hard for some to understand the high price of insurance????

>

> And... if that all isn't enough... Folks with a messed up thyroid.... We

> are considered the 'bread and butter disease'.. yep.. that's what they

> call it... why? Cuz they can mistreat us for decades and not actually

> kill us.... but in the mean time dump a couple of dozen drugs on us to

> help us with all the symptoms that we suffer from as a result of poor

> thyroid hormone levels, that they are DETERMINED have nothing to do with

> thyroid function.

>

> They range from pain killers, to surgeries, to antidepressants.... you

> name it.... Yet if the root condition, improper thyroid function, were

> treated properly and diagnosed properly... none of these horrid symptoms

> would have us sitting in the dark at night wishing we were dead.

>

> ...stopping before I go off on an all out rant.....

>

> Topper ()

> Yahoo IM: toppertwo

> Skype: topperlinda

>

> On Thu, 19 Jan 2006 00:33:09 -0000 " jonnyblog " <jonnyblog@y...>

> writes:

> this might be helpful...

>

> COSTCO, read this

>

>

>

> Let's hear it for Costco!! (This is just mind-boggling!) Make sure

> you read all the way past the list of the drugs. The woman that

> signed below is a Budget Analyst out of federal Washington, DC

> offices.

>

>

> Did you ever wonder how much it costs a drug company for the active

> ingredient in prescription medications? Some people think it must

> cost a lot, since many drugs sell for more than $2.00 per tablet. We

> did a search of offshore chemical synthesizers that supply the

> active ingredients found in drugs approved by the FDA. As we have

> revealed in past issues of Life Extension, a significant percentage

> of drugs sold in the United States contain active ingredients made

> in other countries. In our independent investigation of how much

> profit drug companies really make,

> we obtained the actual price of active ingredients used in some of

> the most popular drugs sold in America.

>

> The data below speaks for itself.

>

> Celebrex: 100 mg

> Consumer price (100 tablets): $130.27

> Cost of general active ingredients: $0.60

> Percent markup: 21,712%

>

> Claritin: 10 mg

> Consumer Price (100 tablets): $215.17

> Cost of general active ingredients: $0.71

> Percent markup: 30,306%

>

> Keflex: 250 mg

> Consumer Price (100 tablets): $157.39

> Cost of general active ingredients: $1.88

> Percent markup: 8,372%

>

> Lipitor: 20 mg

> Consumer Price (100 tablets): $272.37

> Cost of general active ingredients: $5.80

> Percent markup: 4,696%

>

> Norvasc: 10 mg

> Consumer price (100 tablets): $188.29

> Cost of general active ingredients: $0.14

> Percent markup: 134,493%

>

> Paxil: 20 mg

> Consumer price (100 tablets): $220.27

> Cost of general active ingredients: $7.60

> Percent markup: 2,898%

>

> Prevacid: 30 mg

> Consumer price (100 tablets): $44.77

> Cost of general active ingredients: $1.01

> Percent markup: 34,136%

>

> Prilosec: 20 mg

> Consumer price (100 tablets): $360.97

> Cost of general active ingredients $0.52

> Percent markup: 69,417%

>

> Prozac: 20 mg

> Consumer price (100 tablets) : $247.47

> Cost of general active ingredients: $0.11

> Percent markup: 224,973%

>

> Tenormin: 50 mg

> Consumer price (100 tablets): $104.47

> Cost of general active ingredients: $0.13

> Percent markup: 80,362%

>

> Vasotec: 10 mg

> Consumer price (100 tablets): $102.37

> Cost of general active ingredients: $0.20

> Percent markup: 51,185%

>

> Xanax: 1 mg

> Consumer price (100 tablets) : $136.79

> Cost of general active ingredients: $0.024

> Percent markup: 569,958%

>

> Zestril: 20 mg

> Consumer price (100 tablets) $89.89

> Cost of general active ingredients $3.20

> Percent markup: 2,809

>

> Zithromax: 600 mg

> Consumer price (100 tablets): $1,482.19

> Cost of general active ingredients: $18.78

> Percent markup: 7,892%

>

> Zocor: 40 mg

> Consumer price (100 tablets): $350.27

> Cost of general active ingredients: $8.63

> Percent markup: 4,059%

>

> Zoloft: 50 mg

> Consumer price: $206.87

> Cost of general active ingredients: $1.75

> Percent markup: 11,821%

>

> Since the cost of prescription drugs is so outrageous, I thought

> everyone should know about this. Please read the following and pass

> it on. It pays to shop around. This helps to solve the mystery as

> to why they can afford to put a Walgreen's on every corner. On

> Monday night, Steve , an investigative reporter for Channel 7

> News in Detroit, did a story on generic drug price gouging by

> pharmacies. He found in his investigation, that some of these

> generic drugs were marked up as much as 3,000% or more. Yes, that's

> not a typo.....three thousand percent! So often, we blame the drug

> companies for the high cost of drugs, and usually rightfully so. But

> in this case, the fault clearly lies with the pharmacies themselves.

> For example, if you had to buy a prescription drug, and bought the

> name brand, you might pay $100 for 100 pills. The pharmacist might

> tell you that if you get the generic equivalent, they would only

> cost $80, making you think you are " saving " $20. What the pharmacist

> is not telling you is that those 100 generic pills may have only

> cost him $10!

>

> At the end of the report, one of the anchors asked Mr.

> whether or not there were any pharmacies that did not adhere to this

> practice, and he said that Costco consistently charged little over

> their cost for the generic drugs.

>

> I went to the Costco site, where you can look up any drug, and get

> its online price. It says that the in-store prices are consistent

> with the online prices. I was appalled. Just to give you one example

> from my own experience, I had to use the drug, Compazine, which

> helps prevent nausea in chemo patients.

>

> I used the generic equivalent, which cost $54.99 for 60 pills at

> CVS. I checked the price at Costco, and I could have bought 100

> pills for $19.89. For 145 of my pain pills, I paid $72.57. I could

> have got 150 at Costco for $28.08.

>

> I would like to mention, that although Costco is a " membership " type

> store, you do NOT have to be a member to buy prescriptions there, as

> it is a federally regulated substance. You just tell them at the

> door that you wish to use the pharmacy, and they will let you in.

> (this is true)

>

> I went there this past Thursday and asked them. I am asking each of

> you to please help me by copying this letter, and passing it into

> your own e-mail, and send it to everyone you know with an e-mail

> address.

>