Say What?

I inherited my mother's slight build. It's a good thing, mostly...I pretty much eat whatever I want and don't have to worry about my weight. Those genes I like. But a slender build also means slender bones, and those would be the genes I don't necessarily like. And since I've never been a milk drinker, osteoporosis is a concern.

Yogurt, calcium and walking have been my soldiers in the battle against it but last spring we added some heavy artillery in the form of one of those bone density drugs. I hate taking it...actually, I hate taking any medicine so I guess I should be thankful this is the only one I have to regularly ingest. The medicine requires you to chug eight ounces of water with it...on an empty stomach and then you can't eat or drink for an hour. Yuck! And you can't go back to bed either. It's just another reminder of the joys of growing older.

But after several months of this weekly punishment, I switched to one of the once-a-month kind, not because I would have to wash down the pills less frequently but because I was having some issues. We're hoping that spacing out the doses will resolve them and so far that's the case.

My doctor was kind enough to give me a sample for the first month...just to make sure it was an improvement, and I had a prescription for more if it was. I filled that scrip right before we left last week. And when I did, I had to ask the clerk to repeat herself after she gave me the total I owed. I couldn't believe my ears. Fifty dollars! For one pill! And that's my co-pay...my insurance company is picking up the rest of whatever exorbitant sum this drug demands. Especially since my old prescription was only $11 and I got four pills then.

It could have been worse, I guess. This drug is on the "preferred" list; had the doctor prescribed one that was on the "non-preferred" list I would have owed $80.  Still, fifty dollars for one pill...I haven't gotten over the shock yet.

Comments

[Amy L]

You're right that the actual retail price of that one pill is staggering. The drug company's rationale is that it works for a whole month. If you have osteoporosis (rather than the milder osteopenia), you can get an IV version that they infuse once a year!

[Dana]

Wow! I had to get $40 eye cream for Ian. I told Michael that if it was for either of us I wouldn't have filled the prescription. I am so thankful that we have insurance though. Without it, the cream would have been just shy of $200! Craziness!

[Donna]

haha..pretty much the same reaction I had when my vet offered me a pill to give my dog to prevent him from getting car sickness. That one would have cost me $90 for 2 doses. That was a bit too expensive of a car ride with the pooch for me. Luckily he outgrew the car sickness.

[LianeZ]

You should see if your insurance gives you a break on a 3 month refill. I'd have to pay $120 for 3 months of drugs I have to take or I risk death, but my insurance gives me a break if I get them 3 months at a time - only $80 so I end up saving $160 a year doing it that way - LianeZ