Cash Price of Epipen ... INSANITY!!!!!

[YouKnowWho]

Thanks everyone, especially spacecanada!  Not sure what we will do, but thankfully we have options now.  I found that even with the wellscript card AND the epi coupon, it was still $434 ... way too expensive ... especially when we have to buy 2 sets.  I also found a Canadian pharmacy online (Canadianpharmacymeds.com) and was wondering if anyone has had any experience with this?  I asked and they said it is not generic epi ... that it is epipen brand!  I have been paying out of pocket for years (we have a whole closet of expired pens, as we have been buying them for the last 8 years and have only used one, knock wood) and it has always been unreasonable.  I wish I had looked into alternatives sooner.  However, now it is not just unreasonable, it is unacceptable!

Our new allergist suggested this site BTW.  He said many of his patients are struggling with the ridiculous cost of epi pens no matter how great their insurance is.

[ctmartin]

Good to know!  We will be in Montreal and Toronto in July, so will buy while we are there, but I plan to use this site in the future!!

[CMdeux]

SO the one thing that I've always worried about with mail order and rescue meds is temperature excursions during shipping-- how do they manage to control that??

[Macabre]

DH actually looked into this, and while we wouldn't do it in the winter, he read enough to suggest it might not be the cover need think it would be. But he didn't type things up like I asked, and that info is pretty much gone now. It's been over a year.

[spacecanada]

Research has proved that cold temperature excursions won't adversely affect EpiPens.  I don't have a link to the study but I know many Canadians were happy with that.  It is the heat I would be concerned about with shipping, especially in summer to Southern States.

[CMdeux]

Hey-- so I know that this has been all over the news this year with back-to-school time upon us. 


I've really been heartsick about this-- I know that there will be kids whose parents choose to not tell the school about a child's allergy simply because they can't afford to provide "extra" autoinjectors to the school.   



http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/as-epipen-prices-skyrocket-consumers-and-emts-resort-to-syringes-for-life-threatening-allergies/

Locally, sticker-prices of twinpacks are up to about $600 a pack this year-- so for someone without prescription coverage, out of pocket costs for a set of three twinpacks (one for school, one for each parent, or home and caregiver sets-- this is pretty minimal coverage that doesn't account for a fourth or fifth set for after-school care and/or sports without a parent present); adds up to about 1800 USD.

I know that some school policies mandate autoinjectors-- and certainly might for children to have epinephrine in classrooms rather than in a nurse's office.  I can see why for self-carry, especially prior to high school. 

Has anyone had luck getting a school to accept vials and syringes?   I mean, they HAVE for diabetic children, so they can, I guess.  Then again, insulin isn't the same thing, since the speed of administration isn't quite the same level of critical, meaning that a nurse can keep and dispense medication as needed.  Not so with asthma meds and epinephrine, or... seizure meds, maybe?

I'm really wondering what parents who quite literally CANNOT afford this expense are going to do. 
 

[Macabre]

Our school actually told us last year if money were a problem that they have enough epi to cover DS and kit to worry about providing a dedicated set for him for school (knowing he also self carries). This was after I bought them and paid $80 then. Sigh.

[Ciel]

I'm in Ontario and you can get Epipens OTC without a prescription. I don't have a drug plan so I pay out of pocket and sometimes I get a prescription, sometimes I don't bother. I'm not sure what the cost is, I can't remember what I paid last time, but I think it was around $200 for 2 EpiPens. I would want to get mine in person rather than through the mail, myself.

[Mfamom]

http://www.northjersey.com/news/as-epipen-cost-skyrockets-400-percent-lawmakers-call-for-price-gouging-investigation-1.1648920?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

[spacecanada]

The crazy cost increase has only affected America.  The price of an EpiPen in Canada is government-controlled and has remained fairly consistent for MANY years at $90-110 each, depending on your location and pharmacy dispensing fees. 

[CMdeux]

I guess you aren't getting the same "value" that we Yanks are out of our epipens.  Or maybe Canadian lives are worth less.  I'm not sure.   


In all seriousness, it is picking up steam this story-- and apparently lawmakers are pushing for there to be an inquiry into Mylan's pricing rationale.  THAT ought to be interesting.     Yes, do tell us why it is that about $7.50 worth of materials warrants a $700 price tag.

DO.  I'd LOVE to know.  Because I'm sure that "the value that the product represents" must-- surely-- not have meant that you can EXTORT more money from terrified parents and the "value" of children's lives is being nicely reflected in your share price and the "features" are mostly there for your stockholders.  SURELY not. 

[CMdeux]

Interesting-- I really, really, really hope that this device makes it to market approval.  It sounds TERRIFIC.

http://fortune.com/2015/07/21/epipen-alternative-medicine/

[GoingNuts]

This was the lead story on my local newsradio this morning! 

[Macabre]

It is picking up steam!  Bernie has spotted about it on FB and so has my senator, Amy Klobuchar. I love her so much.

Friends who do not deal with a life threatening allergy are posting about this on FB.

Wow. 

[hedgehog]

Seems to be part of this a**hole's legacy. 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/to-your-health/wp/2015/09/21/ceo-of-company-that-raised-the-price-of-old-pill-hundreds-of-dollars-overnight-calls-journalist-a-moron-for-asking-why/