Re: where everyone gets Enbrel?

[Guest guest]

My insurance Humana insists that I get it via the specialty mail order

supply center, Caremark. They ship it directly to my home where I self-

administer it. (Well, sort of. It's given subcutaneously, and I think

it burns/stings like fury. After the first one, I just couldn't bring

myself to push that plunger anymore. Yes, I know, I'm chicken. What I

do currently is I insert the needle myself and aspirate, and then get

either dh or one of the kids to actually push the plunger for me! It's

probably all psychological, but I think it stings less if I don't have

to push the plunger myself, LOL.)

[Guest guest]

I work for a company like Caremark. We handle insurance benefits for

a majority of insured people in the nation. (We fill 990,000 Rx per

week from our location. Another one on the East coast puts out 1

million per week. Obviously, the paharmacies are automated.) Almost

all health insurance companies have begun requiring their patients

to use mail order for specialty medications (as nearly as I can

tell, that's code for newer, very expensive drugs that ususally have

to be injected.) Many people have these delivered to their doctor's

office and have them injected by someone there. Because the drug is

so expensive, many local pharmacies don't carry it or only carry a

very limited supply. Because mail order pharmacies can negotiate

larger discounts on most medications, and they have the space to

keep an enormous number of meds on-site, it is generally better for

both the patient individually and the insurance company as well to

equire Enbrel, etc, be sent by mail.

Ruth

Las Veggas, NV

-- In , " dreimutter1957 "

<dreimutter1957@...> wrote:

>

> My insurance Humana insists that I get it via the specialty mail

order

> supply center, Caremark. They ship it directly to my home where I

self-

> administer it. (Well, sort of. It's given subcutaneously, and I

think

> it burns/stings like fury. After the first one, I just couldn't

bring

> myself to push that plunger anymore. Yes, I know, I'm chicken.

What I

> do currently is I insert the needle myself and aspirate, and then

get

> either dh or one of the kids to actually push the plunger for me!

It's

> probably all psychological, but I think it stings less if I don't

have

> to push the plunger myself, LOL.)

>

[Guest guest]

When I was on Enbrel I received my supply at home from my mail

order prescription drug company. 3-month supply. I too was

scared to death to do it. My husband refused. I was lucky to

work in healthcare with nurses so I was able to get someone to

administer the shot to me. I would try my best to plan it so

I didn't have to do it myself. When I had to do it myself I

sucked it up and did it. I got use to it if there is such a thing.

Now I'm on Remicade every 7 weeks. A nurse comes to my house to

administer the IV. Had to get use to it too. I have my times

when I don't fare well with it but overall I do okay. Good luck.

>

> My insurance Humana insists that I get it via the specialty mail

order

> supply center, Caremark. They ship it directly to my home where I

self-

> administer it. (Well, sort of. It's given subcutaneously, and I think

> it burns/stings like fury. After the first one, I just couldn't bring

> myself to push that plunger anymore. Yes, I know, I'm chicken. What I

> do currently is I insert the needle myself and aspirate, and then get

> either dh or one of the kids to actually push the plunger for me!

It's

> probably all psychological, but I think it stings less if I don't

have

> to push the plunger myself, LOL.)

>