Drug Companies Suck

[Teto Frum]

Purolator just delivered the new meds im starting today. The government has got to do something about the drug companies, they are (not word used in head) criminals.

Now ive got benefits, so this has very little effect on me, but a one month supply for the drug I'm starting is $4714.62.......ARE YOU KIDDING ME. How do those without benefits or without being millionaires get this drug, its not a cure this is now a lifetime expense.

Canada loves to tout its free health care, well im sorry since meds arent covered by government, I'd say we have free diagnosis not health care. The last drug i took was roughly $7000 every three months, varied due to weight.

This is just nuts, theres no justification for meds this expensive, drug patent rules need modernized and overhauled, they currently are licence to steal in my opinion. And the whole system sucks so bad they don't supply, injection needles, alcohol swabs, or a hazardous medical dispenser, for a drug you need all three off.

We've allowed our governments to put a price on survival that im pretty certain alot of folks even before things went bad couldn't afford. This is state sponsored murder as far as im concerned.

[LOVWYRM]

Same prices here (Germany) for Flame`s drugs he needs (polyarthritis).

Our health care system is good but expensive- so we have to pay only a little percentage for the drugs ourselfes.

[C`gan]

I know the feeling. I have migraines and thus far I can still use Maxalt for them. However, my insurance company limits me to NINE pills in a month (that's 9 normal migraines or 4.5 BAD ones). For those nine pills, I pay $25. Sounds like a bargain, right? Here's the kicker. If I were to get a tenth pill in a month's time, insurance wouldn't cover it and I would have to pay almost $280. They refuse to cover the first nine as well.

[katt31m]

I take 3 anti rejection meds of similar prices and a variety of others for various other effects. If it wasn't for having insurance I wouldn't still have this kidney. As per my quarterly report of coverage, i rack up almost $10,000. in meds each month so I agree its insane. But have you ever noticed the price the drug companies charge insurances and the price for buying them over the counter are typically two seperate things? Again whats up with that and why isn't anyone doing anything about it.


Muslyx

[Sigi]

Best would be if there was one drugcompany working worldwide and funded by all governments. All research and testing would only have to be done once, no overlap, no double work (much less testing on animals!) no patent thingies, less overall costs and hopefully normal prices.

[Nisse]

I'm in the same boat--Humira was my source of rage. $1200 for a one month's supply. I'm not taking it at the moment due to some medial confusion.

[Teto Frum]

Humira is what im talking about too Nisse...my opening six injections for first month was 4714.62. Eight hundred an injection before taxes, shipping etc for me where i live, so will be 1600 once im down to two injections after initial build up.

[Nisse]

The insurance plan I have will only cover $3000 a year, and the Humira eats that very quickly.

I found the Healthwell Foundation, and this has also helped, somewhat. Even though their coverage is only partial as well.

[Teto Frum]

Nisse, I'm sorry to hear you have to stop using drug on occasion due to financing it. That's horrible knowing theres something out there that can help you, but you can't have access to it.

Was a long fight getting coverage for me as well, but after the long fight ive got full coverage for it, grew very ill during the time it took some over paid suit decide that drug should be covered.

Hope your not suffering too much without it, and hope that somehow you can work something out. I'm in Canada, by looks of link you provided your American...not sure if i can be any help, but feel free to pm if you do...i needed a drug company discount, government help, trillium grant plus my benefits to get to full coverage. Perhaps i have a phone number or two that might be of some aid.

[Nisse]

Thank you, I will keep that in mind

[Amarie Ancalimon]

I have had some run-ins with RA drugs (Humira specifically) and have found a newer option that, depending on insurance coverage, might be a better alternative. It is a once a month IV infusion called Orencia. A friend of mine was placed on Humira, it didn't seem to do the trick and, even with pretty good insurance, was NOT worth the expense (about $500 and rising for 2 monthly injections). That friend now receives Orencia infusions once a month for about $230 a treatment (sometimes even less) and they really seem to be helping.

I've also done research into what programs are available for people with arthritis (www.arthritis.org) and would definitely recommend a look in to complementary forms of therapy (like physical or occupational therapy/water aerobics). Sometimes doing more than only taking medicine has many benefits that could some day lead to a life with fewer medicaitons!! (which can be true for ANY chronic issue).

[LOVWYRM]

I agree to that Amarie: Flame got no abatement from humira. He`s now on Orencia and feels much better.

[Nisse]

I have had some run-ins with RA drugs (Humira specifically) and have found a newer option that, depending on insurance coverage, might be a better alternative. It is a once a month IV infusion called Orencia. A friend of mine was placed on Humira, it didn't seem to do the trick and, even with pretty good insurance, was NOT worth the expense (about $500 and rising for 2 monthly injections). That friend now receives Orencia infusions once a month for about $230 a treatment (sometimes even less) and they really seem to be helping.

I've also done research into what programs are available for people with arthritis (www.arthritis.org) and would definitely recommend a look in to complementary forms of therapy (like physical or occupational therapy/water aerobics). Sometimes doing more than only taking medicine has many benefits that could some day lead to a life with fewer medicaitons!! (which can be true for ANY chronic issue).

So far as I know, there are only three big drugs approved for the type of arthritis I have--psoriatic arthritis.

They are methotrexate (low dose), humira, enbrel, and remicade. I've tried methotrexate, it did not help. Have not tried the last two, though.

[LOVWYRM]

Flame tried all three (no success ), but has to take methotrex (once a week) and cortisone (once a day)all life long- has Orencia once a month.
He suffers from Polyarthritis.

[Teto Frum]

I'm in a different boat, though they are predominately arthritic drugs, they have also all three proven to work on Crohns sufferers. Ive taken Remicade which worked amazing, so well i was in remission for 3 years, they wouldnt give me remicade again said reactions are too prevelent in patients that have been off it that long. I tried mexotrexate and got no relief from it so now its Humira which is working well. Not sure the drug you mentioned crosses over to Crohns as well but will research to find out in case something else is needed in the future. Thank you Amerie always nice to have as many available options as possible.

[Romirez]

i keep looking at all these drugs, injections, and bullcrap that the drug "companies" say you have to take for the rest of your life.

it sounds to me, that the companies are more interested in milking you for the rest of your natural ******* life. why don't they use their vast amounts of money built up from being crooks, and develop PERMENENT CURES, rather than lifetime treatments? we are starting to develop a treatment against AIDS FOR GOD'S SAKE. i am pretty **** sure we can make a permenent cure for many things out there. i hate the whole drug industry... angers me to no end. it's all " take this drug, lots of side effects, but it cures you!" ...no it doesn't. it makes you dependent on that drug to SUPRESS the condition. it cures NOTHING. no offense to those that are wrapped up in the super-expensive drug ring, but why don't they just make cures? PERMENENT ones?

[Nisse]

why don't they use their vast amounts of money built up from being crooks, and develop PERMENENT CURES, rather than lifetime treatments?

As far as arthritis, and more specifically my kind of arthritis go, they are complicated diseases. So the drugs for them are complex as well. My kind of arthritis is caused by an overactive immune system, and the current treatment is the best we have. The major medicines affect certain parts of the immune system. Info

But the way the immune system is malfunctioning is not understood totally, and the science to make it cease permanently isn't there yet. If you can manage to get a remission and temporarily slow the disease, it will be back.

Ultimately, I think there may be something along the lines of gene therapy, as Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis are genetic in origin.

Who knows about the costs for that?

[Teto Frum]

Romirez I agree 100% that the drug companies from a business stand point have prefered for selfish reasons to focus on "living with drugs" instead of cures. The only problem is when your suffering with a disease, their motivation becomes much less important than using whatever is currently available.

[Dremora]

i keep looking at all these drugs, injections, and bullcrap that the drug "companies" say you have to take for the rest of your life.

it sounds to me, that the companies are more interested in milking you for the rest of your natural ******* life. why don't they use their vast amounts of money built up from being crooks, and develop PERMENENT CURES, rather than lifetime treatments? we are starting to develop a treatment against AIDS FOR GOD'S SAKE. i am pretty **** sure we can make a permenent cure for many things out there. i hate the whole drug industry... angers me to no end. it's all " take this drug, lots of side effects, but it cures you!" ...no it doesn't. it makes you dependent on that drug to SUPRESS the condition. it cures NOTHING. no offense to those that are wrapped up in the super-expensive drug ring, but why don't they just make cures? PERMENENT ones?

Nisse already mentioned that arthritis is a complicated disease to treat, but that's true for pretty much everything.

Take for example the common cold. Many different types of pathogens make up the cold, and they are evolving all the time which is why it's so difficult to come up with a cure. Scientists are still trying to do this and indeed it is scientists, not drug companies themselves, that research treatments and it's a lot more complicated than what you make it out to be. Check out this page at ScienceDaily.com and this especially to get a better idea.

[aine]

I remember years ago, as a single mom, being more thankful than I could imagine that the insurance covered the antibiotics needed by my young son, wondering how horrible it would be to not be able to heal my sick baby were I to not have had a prescription plan. The plain vanilla Amoxicillin he was prescribed was far more than I could afford, had I not had insurance.

Lately, seeing the before-insurance costs of my cancer treatments, and the ongoing daily medications to prevents its reoccurrence, have brought back those feelings, (though, frankly, my worry for my child has always outweighed my self-worry, of course).

If I were uninsured (or had a less comprehensive policy), my son and I may very well not have survived. That there are people now facing the prospect of missing a house payment in order to medicate their child, taking a loan that will wipe them out in order to purchase medicine, causes a pain in my heart that rivals that of any cancer I may face.

I am willing (and naive) enough to believe that the drug companies are creating medicines to the best of their abilities (not intentionally ignoring cures), and I do realize that there are exorbitant costs in doing so...but I think it an abomination that the costs of medications are so outrageously high that they are unaffordable without the subsidies of insurance.

At the same time, I don't advocate government control...simply because the drug companies hold our health hostage. Should they discontinue their research and development, we will all suffer.

It seems to me that there is no answer. Wishing the drug companies would behave charitably and responsibly is a wish thrown away.